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

The 100,000-strong Chu army marched towards the border between Wei and the Tang Dynasty like a dark cloud.

Iron hooves trampled the earth, flags fluttered, swords shone in the sun, and the murderous atmosphere swept across thousands of miles.

Chu Ning led the army in person, wearing silver armor and riding a white horse, his eyes as cold as ice. The army behind him advanced like a torrent, vowing to avenge the blood debt for King Chu Kuang of Zhao.

On the other side of the border, the atmosphere in the Tang army camp was equally solemn.

When Li Shiming received the news that the Chu army was approaching, he was reviewing military reports in his tent.

He suddenly closed the bamboo slips, a cold light flashed in his eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Send the order, gather all the generals to discuss the matter!"

Soon, in the Tang army camp, generals from all directions rushed to the commander-in-chief's tent.

The tent was brightly lit with candles. Li Shiming sat in the first seat, his golden armor shining brightly and looking majestic.

The generals filed in and saluted, "Your Majesty!"

Li Shiming nodded slightly, his eyes swept across the crowd, and finally landed on the first person on the left - Helian Kuang, the leader of the Scorpion Clan.

Helian Kuang was wearing black leather armor, with a sinister look on his face and a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. He was obviously looking forward to the upcoming battle.

"Everyone."

Li Shiming's voice was low and solemn, "I have just received urgent news that the Emperor of Chu, Chu Ning, is personally leading an army of 100,000 and is heading straight for our border!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the tent.

"What? Chu Ning came in person?"

"Humph, that's perfect. It saves us from having to look for him!"

"Your Majesty, the last general invites you to fight!"

"Your Majesty, let me fight!"

The generals were furious, especially Qin Qiong. He slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Just in time! This is the perfect time to avenge General Li Ji!"

Li Ji was a famous general of the Tang army. He died in this battle while covering the rear. Qin Qiong and he were like brothers and had long wanted to attack the Chu camp. Now that the Chu army had come to him on their own initiative, how could he let them go?

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the vanguard to meet the Chu army!" A bearded general clasped his fists and said with a fighting spirit in his eyes.

"Although the Chu army is large, they must be exhausted after a long march. It is a good opportunity for our army to take advantage of the situation and wait for them to tire themselves out!" said another thin general in a deep voice.

"That's right! Although the Chu army is strong, our army and the Scorpion Clan have joined forces and have superior manpower. We will definitely win this battle!"

For a moment, all the generals in the tent asked for battle and were eager to fight.

Li Shiming frowned slightly, raised his hand and waved, saying coldly: "Alright! I asked you to come here to discuss, not to quarrel!"

All the generals fell silent immediately, and the tent became quiet in an instant.

Li Shiming turned his gaze to Helian Kuang and said calmly, "Chief Helian, what are your thoughts on this battle?"

Helian Kuang raised a sinister smile and said coldly: "Since the Chu army is here, we should defeat them head-on!"

He stood up, looked around at the generals, and said proudly, "The Emperor of Chu is personally leading an army of 100,000. We can annihilate them in one fell swoop! Our army and the Scorpion Clan's coalition total 120,000 to 130,000 men, giving us the advantage! Furthermore, we have been camped here for a long time. The Chu army has come from afar, so we have the advantage of the terrain!"

He slapped his chest and laughed wildly, "Our army will win this battle!"

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Li Shiming's eyes. After pondering for a moment, he slowly said, "Since that's the case, then please ask Chief Helian to go and make preparations. The Chu army's vanguard will arrive in three days. Then, we'll give them a show of force!"

Helian Kuang clasped his fists in salute and said with a fierce smile, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, rest assured. I have 12,000 men under my command and will annihilate the Chu army without a single piece of armor remaining!"

After saying that, he turned and strode away, his black cloak fluttering like a bloodthirsty beast.

Li Shiming watched Helian Kuang leave, then waved his hand to signal the generals to withdraw: "Everyone, go down and prepare for battle. Zhang Gongjin will stay."

All the generals bowed and took their leave. Soon, only Li Shiming and his counselor Zhang Gongjin were left in the tent.

After everyone left, the majesty on Li Shiming's face subsided a little, and a hint of solemnity appeared in his eyes.

He looked at Zhang Gongjin and whispered, "Gongjin, in your opinion, what are the chances of winning this battle?"

Zhang Gongjin pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Fifty percent."

"Fifty percent?"

Li Shiming frowned, his tone slightly cold, "Our army has the advantage in manpower, and we have the Scorpion Tribe to help us, but our chances of winning are only 50%?"

Zhang Gongjin gave a bitter laugh and said, "Your Majesty, the Chu army is well-equipped, with strong armor and sharp weapons. It often takes three of our soldiers to kill one elite Chu soldier."

"If we confront each other head-on, the chances of winning are really slim."

Li Shiming was silent for a moment, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Then according to your opinion, what should we do?"

Zhang Gongjin bowed slightly and whispered, "Your Majesty, I suggest setting traps both inside and outside the camp. Use ambushes, fire attacks, tripwires, and other tactics to weaken the Chu army. Then, choose the right moment for a decisive battle."

Li Shiming nodded slightly: "This matter is left to you with full responsibility."

Zhang Gongjin added, "Furthermore, Your Majesty, please send someone to inform Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty of the Chu army's attack."

"Liu Che?"

Li Shiming's eyes flashed with disgust, and he said coldly, "He caused our army's defeat and General Li Ji's death, and now you want me to beg him to send troops?"

Zhang Gongjin quickly shook his head: "Your Majesty has misunderstood. I did not ask Your Majesty to beg him, but to inform him of the news."

"Liu Che is no fool. If he knew that the main force of the Chu army had been deployed, he would definitely take the opportunity to attack the western border of Chu to contain the Chu army."

Li Shiming pondered for a moment and snorted coldly: "You go and arrange this matter."

Zhang Gongjin knew that the emperor could not lose face, so he said no more and bowed before leaving.

As the night deepened, the Tang army camp was brightly lit, the soldiers intensified their preparations for battle, and the sound of swords and guns clashing was endless.

After leaving the commander-in-chief's tent, Zhang Gongjin immediately summoned his trusted subordinates and began to arrange the battlefield.

He was well aware of the terrifying power of the Chu cavalry. If the Tang army fought head-on, even if it won, it would suffer heavy losses.

So he decided to outsmart him.

He ordered people to dig hundreds of secret pits three miles outside the Tang army camp. The bottom of the pits were filled with sharpened wooden stakes and the surface was covered with dry grass and loose soil.

Dozens of iron chains were laid in the dense forests on both sides. Once the Chu cavalry charged, they would be thrown off their horses and men.

Zhang Gongjin dispatched 3,000 archers to ambush on the high ground on both sides. The arrows were all wrapped in oilcloth. As soon as the Chu army stepped into the trap, they fired thousands of arrows at once and used rockets to ignite the pre-buried kerosene trenches, trapping the Chu army's vanguard in a sea of fire.

He specifically told Qin Qiong that if the Chu army attacked fiercely, he could pretend to retreat and lure the enemy deeper.

When the Chu army reaches the camp, the swordsmen and axemen who have been lying in ambush in the trenches can suddenly launch a surprise attack and cut off the enemy's retreat.

After the arrangements were completed, Zhang Gongjin climbed onto the observation tower and gazed towards the Chu army, his lips curled slightly.

"Chu Ning, even if you have 100,000 cavalry, you can't easily break through this pass!"

Although the Chu army had 100,000 elite soldiers coming in a mighty force, he believed that with these traps in place, it would be impossible for the Chu army to break into the camp in a short time.

The Chu army's Xiliang Iron Cavalry and White Horse Cavalry were indeed powerful, so he specially arranged many traps against the cavalry.

As long as the Chu cavalry could not break into the camp, they could hold it.

Now, it depends on how Liu Che will react after hearing the news.