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

The August sun was scorching, and the blazing sunlight burned every inch of the bluestone pavement in the imperial city.

The air at noon was filled with heat waves, and even the cicadas' chirping seemed weak.

However, at this moment, the entire royal capital was shrouded in solemnity - today was the state funeral of King Chu Kuang of Zhao and his queen.

On both sides of the imperial mausoleum's sacred road, the imperial guards stood with spears in hand, their black armor glowing coldly under the scorching sun.

From the city gate to the mausoleum, the ten-mile-long street was crowded with people who came spontaneously to see him off.

They knelt silently on both sides of the road, some sobbing quietly, some wiping tears with their sleeves.

During his lifetime, King Zhao guarded the border for more than ten years, ensuring that the people of Chu could live and work in peace and contentment. Now that he has died on the battlefield, the people are all heartbroken.

The heavy coffin slowly moved across the sacred path. Sixteen imperial guards carried the nanmu coffin on their shoulders, which was covered with black brocade embroidered with coiled dragon patterns.

Behind the coffin was the equally solemn sedan chair carrying the princess, its plain white curtains fluttering in the wind, just like the Jiangnan mist that the princess loved most when she was alive.

Chu Ning was dressed in plain white mourning clothes and personally carried the coffin.

His face was haggard, with dark circles under his eyes, but he still kept his back straight and walked step by step on the hot stone slabs.

Sweat slid down his forehead and soaked his clothes, but he seemed unaware of it. He just stared at the direction of the mausoleum in front of him, as if he wanted to engrave this final journey in his heart.

Empress Shen Wanying, Vice Empress Wu Zetian, and Imperial Noble Consort Feng Mulan followed closely behind.

Shen Wanying's eyes were red, and she was holding a string of Buddhist beads tightly in her hand. Wu Zhao pursed her lips and said nothing, only her clenched fists revealed her feelings. Feng Mulan bit her lips tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

Civil and military officials stood on both sides, all in mourning clothes, with their heads bowed and standing solemnly.

Minister of Rites Deng Hongwen held the sacrificial text in his hands and read out the life achievements of King Zhao in a hoarse voice:

"Young Master Wang joined the army and guarded the border for ten years, defeating several countries and protecting the mountains and rivers of Great Chu. He expanded the territory of Chu..."

Every time a sentence was recited, suppressed sobs could be heard from the people.

In front of the mausoleum, sandalwood had already been burning on the bronze sacrificial tripod, and green smoke rose straight into the sky.

Chu Ning took the three incense sticks handed to him by the ceremonial officer and knelt down under the scorching sun.

His knees hit the stone steps hard, but he didn't feel any pain at all.

"Brother Wang..." He murmured in a low voice, his voice hoarse and out of tune.

After three bows and nine kowtows, Chu Ning personally placed the Qingfeng sword, which King Zhao loved most during his lifetime, on the coffin.

This was a gift from the late emperor. King Zhao never left it, and now it is time for it to rest with him.

The ceremonial officer sang loudly: "Close the coffin——"

The heavy coffin lid slowly closed, and Chu Ning suddenly reached out and grabbed the edge of the coffin tightly.

His knuckles turned white from the force, and his Adam's apple rolled, but he didn't make a sound to stop it.

Only when the last inch of light was blocked did he let go and let his servants carry the coffin into the tomb.

The princess's coffin was then buried.

Chu Ning looked at the two coffins placed side by side, and suddenly remembered the day many years ago when King Zhao got married. He laughed and joked:

"Brother Wang now has a princess, but don't forget me, your younger brother."

King Zhao laughed and put his arm around his shoulders: "Eighteenth brother, you will always be my dearest brother."

The heat wave distorted his vision, and Chu Ning vaguely saw the King of Zhao standing at the entrance of the tomb, waving goodbye to him.

The funeral finally ended as the sun set.

Chu Ning stood alone in front of the mausoleum, listening to the footsteps of officials leaving behind him.

Shen Wanying wanted to say something but stopped herself, and finally just gently put a thin cloak on his shoulders.

The night wind gradually rose, blowing away the scorching heat of the day.

Chu Ning stroked the newly carved inscription on the tombstone and suddenly chuckled: "Brother Wang, you said you wanted to see me unify the world!"

The last sound dissipated in the wind, and no one answered.

In the evening, everyone returned to the palace.

In the imperial study, the flickering candlelight illuminated Chu Ning's stern face.

He sat upright behind the dragon table, his eyes like knives sweeping over the four people in front of him.

The Vice Empress Wu Zetian, the Minister of Revenue Liu Shouren, the Minister of Rites Deng Hongwen, and the Minister of Personnel Lü Xiuwen. The atmosphere in the hall was so solemn that even the air seemed to freeze.

"I have decided to personally lead an expedition against the Han Dynasty tomorrow."

Chu Ning's voice was low and cold, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth: "First, destroy the Han Dynasty, then attack the Tang Dynasty and the Scorpion Clan, and avenge Brother Zhao!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the four people changed suddenly.

Wu Zhao frowned, took a step forward, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, you have just returned from the front lines. You have been busy for days and have not had a good rest. Now you are going to fight again. It is too hasty!"

There was a rare urgency in her voice, and her eyes were fixed on Chu Ning, trying to see any hesitation in his eyes.

Liu Shouren immediately bowed and advised: "Your Majesty, your health is the most important! You have fainted twice in succession. If you continue this long journey, you may suffer an accident!"

His tone was full of worry, and there was even a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

As the Minister of Revenue, he was well aware of the drain that war would have on the national strength, and he was even more worried that Chu Ning's body could not withstand such hardship.

Lu Xiuwen sighed deeply and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, you are the ruler of a country. The entire Chu nation relies on your decisions. If you rashly go to war without regard for your own safety, what if something goes wrong? How will the country survive?"

Even the usually calm Deng Hongwen couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty, revenge should not be rushed."

"Although the Han Dynasty is building Fuzhou ships, it may not be completed in the short term. We should first stabilize domestic affairs before planning external wars."

However, Chu Ning's eyes remained cold and he showed no intention of backing down.

He slammed the table and shouted, "The Imperial Guard has reported that the Han Dynasty's Fu Ships are almost complete! If we wait until their naval power increases significantly, our Great Chu Navy will be in a passive position!"

His knuckles turned white from exertion, and his voice was filled with suppressed rage: "I will never allow Liu Che the opportunity to threaten the territory of Great Chu!"

Seeing his resolute attitude, Wu Zhao knew that it was useless to persuade him any further, so she had to change her approach and said in a slower tone:

"Your Majesty, even if you need to go to war, there's no need to rush it in a day or two. You've been working so hard these past few days. You should at least rest for two days and spend time with the two princes and Princess Xiuning."

When the child was mentioned, Chu Ning's expression finally relaxed for a moment.

He was silent for a moment, a trace of fatigue flashed in his eyes, and finally he slowly closed his eyes and whispered:

"Okay, then we'll set off in three days."

Wu Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and Liu Shouren and others also felt a little relieved.

Although it was still impossible to stop Chu Ning from leading the army in person, at least a brief buffer time was gained.

Chu Ning swept his gaze over the crowd again and said coldly, "Mr. Liu, the allocation of food and fodder must be foolproof."

Liu Shouren quickly bowed and said, "I will do my best!"

"Mr. Deng, you will be responsible for the pre-war rituals."

Deng Hongwen responded solemnly: "I obey your order."

"Mr. Lu, please discuss the arrangements for the court officials with the Vice Empress."

Lu Xiuwen bowed solemnly: "I understand."

Chu Ning finally looked at Wu Zhao, his voice low and firm: "The government... is now in your hands."

Wu Zhao looked at him deeply and nodded slowly: "Don't worry, Your Majesty."

The flickering candlelight illuminated Chu Ning's cold and hard face.

He knew that this battle was not only for revenge, but also for the future of Da Chu.

Three days later, he will put on armor and go into battle again, and this time, he will never give the enemy any chance.