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

As the sun sets, the clouds in the sky seem to be stained with blood, shining on the rugged mountain road.

Chu Ning galloped on his horse, his cloak fluttering in the wind. From time to time, he looked back at the carriage following behind him, his eyes full of anxiety.

"Doctor Sun, can you go any faster?" Chu Ning asked loudly, with an urgency that was hard to conceal in his voice.

The carriage curtain was lifted by a wrinkled hand, revealing a white-haired but energetic face.

Sun Simiao squinted his eyes and looked at the sky, then looked at the winding mountain road ahead: "Your Majesty, my old bones can still hold on, but this mountain road is rugged. If we go any faster, I'm afraid the carriage will fall apart."

Chu Ning gritted his teeth, beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

The image of his brother Chu Kuang lying in a pool of blood kept appearing in his mind.

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much."

Sun Simiao noticed Chu Ning's anxiety and said comfortingly, "Since the military doctor has sealed several of Prince Zhao's vital points with golden needles, the poison will not invade his heart for the time being."

"As long as we arrive as soon as possible, I am confident that I can bring His Highness Prince Zhao back from the brink of death."

Chu Ning nodded and forced himself to calm down.

He turned to the deputy general beside him and said, "Pass the order down. Everyone, hold on a little longer. We won't set up camp tonight. We must march through the night!"

"But Your Highness, the soldiers have been traveling for two consecutive days." The deputy general looked embarrassed.

"Brother Wang's life is in danger!"

Chu Ning interrupted sharply, then softened his tone: "Tell the soldiers, when we reach Qingcheng, I will reward you handsomely."

The deputy general took the order and left, but Chu Ning's gaze turned to the southwest - that was the area under the charge of Xun Yu and Zhao Yu.

Before leaving, he handed over the important task of dealing with the four remaining Wei troops to this pair of civil and military talents, and he himself rushed to Qingcheng with Sun Simiao.

"Brother Wang, you must hold on!" Chu Ning muttered to himself, raising the whip in his hand again.

At the same time, in the temporary camp of the Chu army a hundred miles away, Xun Yu was bending over to study a topographic map spread out on a wooden table.

This strategist, who was nearly fifty years old, had delicate features and a blue robe that made him look even more elegant, but his sharp eyes revealed extraordinary wisdom and decisiveness.

"General Zhao, look here."

Xun Yu's slender finger traced across the map. "According to the map, although these four Wei remnant troops are each stationed in their own camps, they are no more than twenty miles apart. If there's any disturbance, they can quickly support each other."

Zhao Yu, who was standing opposite, crossed his arms, and his bronze face looked particularly resolute under the light of the oil lamp.

This general, who is nearly forty years old, has a burly build, and his military uniform adds a sense of solemnity to his appearance.

He nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness beneath his thick brows. "Master Xun is absolutely right. These remnants of the Wei Kingdom are very cunning. They chose to camp in this hilly area. The terrain is complex, making it easy to defend but difficult to attack."

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard outside the tent, followed by the guard's announcement: "Report - Wang Dachuan requests an audience!"

Xun Yu's eyes lit up: "Please come in!"

The curtain was opened, and a thin, dark-skinned man walked in quickly with a yellow-haired hunting dog.

Although Wang Dachuan was wearing the Chu army uniform, he could not conceal his hunter temperament.

The hunting dog "Wangcai" beside him looked around vigilantly as soon as he entered the tent, his nose twitching constantly.

"Master Xun, General Zhao, we found it! We found it all!"

Wang Dachuan reported excitedly, his rough face covered with dust and sweat, obviously he had just been through a long journey.

Xun Yu immediately stepped forward and said, "Tell me quickly, where are these four camps?"

Wang Dachuan walked to the table and stretched out his calloused right index finger to point at four locations on the map:

"These are the four places! The one in the east is in Songzigou, the one in the south is in Laoyaling, the one in the west is hidden in the valley behind Daliushu Village, and the one in the north is the most secluded, in a cave under the cliff."

Zhao Yu leaned in for a closer look, his thick brows gradually relaxing. "What a cunning remnant of the Wei State! They've chosen strategic locations that are easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"you do not say!"

Wang Dachuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "If it weren't for Wangcai, it would be really hard to find these places."

"The entrance to the cave camp in the north is completely covered by vines, so ordinary people can't find it at all."

Xun Yu's eyes flashed with admiration: "Wang Dachuan, you have made a great contribution. Come, take him down to claim the reward!"

Wang Dachuan waved his hands repeatedly: "Master Xun, you are too polite. I dare not take credit for it. These remnants of the Wei Kingdom are sneaking around in our Chu territory. It is my duty to contribute."

He bent down and touched Wangcai's head: "If we talk about the credit, Wangcai deserves most of it."

Wangcai seemed to understand his owner's praise. He wagged his tail even more happily and let out a few short barks.

Xun Yu smiled slightly: "We all deserve credit, we all deserve credit. You can go down and rest first, and we will take care of the rest."

After Wang Dachuan left, Xun Yu and Zhao Yu began to study the map again.

The light from the oil lamp cast flickering shadows on the two men's faces, and the atmosphere in the tent became solemn.

"General Zhao, how about you and I each take charge of two areas?"

Xun Yu pondered for a moment and suggested, "I will lead the attack on Songzigou and Laoyaling, and you will be in charge of Daliushu Village and the Cliff Cave."

Zhao Yu thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay, but the key is to launch the attack at the same time and not give them the opportunity to inform each other."

"That's what it means."

Xun Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "I suggest setting the time for action at 12:30 pm tomorrow night. By then, it will be dark, the enemy's defenses will be relatively relaxed, and our men are already accustomed to night combat."

Zhao Yu's eyes flashed with approval: "Master Xun is very thoughtful. However, before we take action, we must first eliminate their secret sentries."

"Since these remnants of the Wei army chose this type of terrain to camp, they must have deployed a large number of secret sentries around it."

Xun Yu stroked his short beard, his eyes gleaming. "General Zhao is right. How about this? We each send out an elite team two hours in advance to specifically eliminate the sentries."

"Once all the sentries have been eliminated, send the signal and launch the general attack simultaneously."

The two men discussed details such as troop allocation, attack route, and retreat plan for a full hour before finally finalizing all the plans.

"Then, let's proceed according to this plan." Zhao Yu clasped his fists and said, "I will go and arrange the battle arrangements for tomorrow."

Xun Yu also bowed in return, "Thank you, General Zhao. I hope we can celebrate our victory with a toast in the Wei army camp at this time tomorrow."

Zhao Yu laughed out loud: "These remnants of the Wei Kingdom are no match for our army. This battle will surely annihilate them!"

"After we have dealt with these people, it will be easier for Lord Xun to govern Wei!"

After saying that, he turned around and went down to make arrangements.