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

On the north bank of the Yangtze River, the Han army’s water forts stretched for ten miles, with warships like a forest and masts like a forest.

Liu Che stood in the central military tent, examining the battle situation on the sand table with a cold gaze.

On the sand table, the small red flags representing the Chu navy were densely planted on the south bank, while the blue flags of the Han army were suppressed in the middle of the river and were always unable to break through.

"Your Majesty, our vanguard camp has tried three times, but the Chu navy's tactics are sophisticated, and our army has always found it difficult to break through the blockade." Zhao Huan, the deputy general of the navy, whispered.

Liu Che snorted coldly and pressed his finger heavily on the sand table: "As long as the Chu navy is not eliminated, our army's food supply will never be at peace!"

He raised his head and looked through the tent door at the river.

The waves of the Yangtze River were surging, and the Chu army's warships were looming in the night, with the lights on the ships shining like stars.

Just then, hurried footsteps were heard outside the tent.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from the Dragon Guards!"

Liu Che frowned and looked up, only to see the navy commander Zhou Yu striding in with an unconcealable joy on his face.

"What's the matter?" Liu Che's tone was calm, but there was a sharp flash in his eyes.

Zhou Yu knelt on one knee and presented a secret letter with both hands: "Your Majesty, the King of Zhao, Chu Kuang of Chu State - is dead!"

Liu Che's fingers paused for a moment, then he slowly stood up straight, staring intently at Zhou Yu: "Is this true?"

"Absolutely true!"

Zhou Yu excitedly said, "The Dragon Guard's carrier pigeon just arrived. Chu Kuang died of poison in Qingcheng. The entire Chu army is in mourning. Chu Ning personally carried the coffin back to Chu!"

Liu Che took the secret letter, glanced at it quickly, and then...

"Hahahaha!"

He suddenly burst into laughter, and his laughter echoed in the tent, and even the guards outside the tent couldn't help but look sideways.

"Dead? Chu Kuang is actually dead?!"

Liu Che's eyes flashed with ecstasy: "What a pity, I couldn't see Chu Ning's expression at this moment with my own eyes. It must have been extremely exciting!"

Zhou Yu also laughed and said, "Your Majesty, this is a godsend! If the Chu navy knew that Chu Kuang was dead, their morale would be in chaos!"

A gleam flashed in Liu Che's eyes: "You mean..."

"Our army can launch a night raid and spread the news of Chu Kuang's death to the Chu navy!"

Zhou Yu whispered, "As long as the morale of the Chu army collapses, our army can break through the blockade in one fell swoop!"

Liu Che's mouth curled up into a cold smile: "Great idea!"

He turned around suddenly and waved his hand: "Order the entire army, take action tonight!"

At three quarters past midnight, the north bank of the Yangtze River was shrouded in thick darkness.

The August river breeze, carrying moist water vapor, shuttled between the flags of the Han army's water camp, making a rustling sound.

The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, and only a few scattered stars were reflected on the turbulent river surface, like scattered silver nails.

Zhou Yu, commander-in-chief of the Han navy, stood on the deck of the flagship "Polang", his fingers unconsciously stroking the sword at his waist.

He looked up at the sky and said in a deep voice, "Order all ships to extinguish their torches and maintain silence."

The order was quickly conveyed through flag signals.

The flames on nearly a hundred warships went out one by one, and the entire fleet was suddenly submerged in darkness.

Only the subtle sound of oars cutting through the water and the occasional clashing of armor proved the existence of this huge navy.

"General, the wind direction has turned to the southeast, which is favorable for our army's movement." The deputy general reported in a low voice.

Zhou Yu nodded slightly, looking towards the south bank with eyes as sharp as an eagle.

There, the Chu army's warships were quietly anchored on the river like sleeping beasts.

Every half an hour, you can see patrol warships cruising on the river with torches in hand.

"Send a message to the vanguard battalion, keep your distance and wait for my order."

At the same time, on the watchtower of the Chu army water fort on the south bank, the sentry Wang Er who was on duty yawned.

He rubbed his sore eyes and was about to take out his water bag to drink, when he suddenly felt that there seemed to be more dark shadows on the river than usual.

"Old Li, come and take a look!" He nudged his companion beside him, "Are those shadows to the north denser than usual?"

Old Li narrowed his eyes, his expression suddenly changing: "Enemy attack! It's the Han warships! Sound the horns!"

"Woo——"

The dull sound of the horn instantly pierced the night sky.

The Chu army's water camp suddenly became boiling, and the soldiers on each ship quickly took their positions.

Torches were lit one after another, illuminating the river surface as bright as day.

The archers drew their bows and shot arrows, and the sharp arrowheads gleamed coldly in the firelight.

"Prepare to engage the enemy!"

Zhou Tai, the Chu navy commander on duty, stood at the bow and shouted sternly, "Order all ships to maintain formation and not rush into battle!"

He had just finished giving his order when he discovered that the approaching Han fleet suddenly stopped.

The two sides were about a hundred steps apart, just at the edge of the bow and arrow range.

"What are they waiting for?" Zhou Tai frowned.

At this moment, a burst of rapid war drum sounds suddenly rang out from the Han army fleet.

Immediately afterwards, countless arrows took off into the air, drawing dense parabolas in the night sky.

"Raise your shields!" Zhou Tai shouted.

However, the expected rain of arrows did not cause many casualties.

Most of the arrows fell on the deck, making a dull "thump thump" sound.

Some soldiers discovered that the tail feathers of these arrows were tied with white cloth strips.

"This is……"

A young Chu soldier bent down to pick up an arrow, untied the cloth strip and examined it in the light of the fire.

His face suddenly turned pale and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

"What's written on it?" asked his companion.

The soldier's lips trembled, and he could barely utter a word: "Zhao... His Royal Highness Prince Zhao... passed away in Qingcheng..."

This news exploded like thunder on the Chu army's warships.

The soldiers picked up the strips of cloth and confirmed them with each other in horror.

Some people knelt down on the ground, some cried and held their heads in their hands, and some angrily tore the cloth strips to pieces.

"Impossible! This must be a trick of the Han army!" Zhou Tai shouted sternly, but his voice could no longer suppress the commotion in the army.

He clearly saw that even some veterans' eyes began to turn red.

On the Han army's flagship on the north bank, Zhou Yu had a panoramic view of the chaos of the Chu army through a telescope.

He nodded with satisfaction and said to the deputy general beside him, "It seems that the news has spread. Order all ships to continue shooting arrows. Make sure every Chu warship receives this news."

The deputy general hesitated and asked, "General, should we take advantage of the situation and attack?"

Zhou Yu shook his head: "Your Majesty has ordered that we only need to disrupt the enemy's morale tonight, and wait until dawn tomorrow..."

He sneered, "Now is the time for the real attack."

On the river, the chaos of the Chu army continued.

Some warships have begun to break away from the formation, and the soldiers on the ships have gathered in groups of three or four, talking in low voices.

The strict military discipline of the past has now disappeared.

The river wind gradually rose, carrying the strips of cloth filled with bad news and making them fly among the Chu army's warships like a strange snow.

The Han army's warships had begun to retreat slowly, but what they left behind was a navy with a demoralized army.

Zhou Tai stood at the bow, looking at the Han army ships gradually moving away, his fists clenched so hard that they made a clattering sound.

He knew that the real crisis had just begun.

When the sun rises tomorrow, what awaits the Chu navy will be an unprecedented fierce battle.

This matter must be reported to General Ran Ming immediately!