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

The night was as dark as ink, the river wind was howling, and the Han army’s water camp was filled with a solemn and murderous atmosphere.

The defeated soldiers dragged their exhausted bodies back to the camp, their armor still stained with fresh blood.

Zhou Yu's face was as gloomy as iron. He dismounted and said coldly to his deputy general, "Pass the order. All troops, rest and strengthen your vigilance. The Chu army is cunning and there is no guarantee they won't launch a surprise attack at night."

The deputy general clasped his fists, accepted the order, and left in a hurry.

Zhou Yu took a deep breath and looked up at the central military tent - the lights were on there, and he could vaguely see a tall figure pacing back and forth in the tent.

He gritted his teeth and walked towards the general's tent.

When the imperial guards outside the tent saw him coming, they all bowed their heads in greeting, but no one dared to look him in the eye.

Zhou Yu's heart sank, knowing that tonight would not end peacefully.

He opened the curtain, and a wave of heat mixed with the scent of ambergris hit him in the face.

Inside the tent, Emperor Liu Che of Han was facing away from the door, his hands behind his back. The candlelight stretched his shadow extremely long, casting it on the tent wall, like a tiger ready to pounce.

Hearing the footsteps, Liu Che slowly turned around, his face so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

"Your Majesty, I am here to see you!" Zhou Yu knelt on one knee, and the collision of armor made a crisp sound.

Liu Che did not speak immediately, but just stared at him coldly, his eyes like knives, as if he wanted to cut him open alive.

The tent was eerily quiet, with only the occasional crackling sound of the candlelight.

"Zhou Yu!"

Liu Che finally spoke, his voice terribly low and deep: "Why did I only send two of my five Fu ships to fight?"

Zhou Yu's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, his eyes flickering. "Your Majesty, I'm worried about an ambush by the Chu army, so I've left three Fu ships behind to protect the water stronghold in case of any unforeseen circumstances."

"fart!"

Liu Che suddenly roared and kicked Zhou Yu in the chest, knocking him to the ground. "I saw with my own eyes that the Chu army only has two Fu ships! You left three behind, are you waiting for the Chu army to sink on their own?"

Zhou Yu got up in a panic and knelt down again, his face pale: "Your Majesty, please understand. I will..."

"enough!"

Liu Che was furious. He grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it to the ground, sending porcelain shards flying everywhere.

"I'm going to go and see what shameful secrets my lucky ship has!"

"Your Majesty!" Zhou Yu looked up in panic: "It's late at night, why not go tomorrow?"

"Now! Immediately!" Liu Che didn't give him a chance to explain and strode out of the tent.

Yu hurried to catch up, feeling completely hopeless.

The river wind was fierce, and the torches swayed in the wind, stretching the shadows of the people longer and shorter.

Liu Che boarded the first Fujian ship "Zhenhai" with a gloomy face. The sailors on the deck knelt on the ground and dared not look up.

"Open the hatch." Liu Che ordered coldly.

With a creak, the wooden board of the bottom cabin was lifted up.

Liu Che leaned over to check, and his face instantly turned pale - the interior of the hull, which should have been densely packed with compartments, was actually empty!

It is barely supported by a few crude brackets, and even the most basic waterproof partitions are not installed!

"This..." Liu Che was so angry that he was shaking all over. He turned around and grabbed Zhou Yu by the collar: "Is this the lucky ship you built for me?"

Zhou Yu's face was ashen, his lips trembling but he couldn't utter a word.

"Good, very good!" Liu Che pushed him away and said, "I want to see if the other two ships are as good as this!"

The situation of the second ship, Pingbo, was even worse.

As soon as Liu Che stepped into the cabin, he smelled a pungent musty smell.

By the light of the torches, I could see that the cabin was filled with unprocessed wood and tools were scattered all over the floor. It was obvious that the craftsmen were just doing a perfunctory job.

The most fatal thing is that even the most basic steering wheel connection device is not completed!

"Zhou! Yu!"

Liu Che spoke each word with a voice like a demon from hell: "Is this how you deceived me?"

Zhou Yu fell to his knees, banging his forehead heavily on the deck. "Your Majesty, please forgive me! I simply wanted to complete the task you assigned me on time."

"Completed on schedule?"

Liu Che laughed in anger: "You're trying to fool me with a pile of rotten wood, and this is your loyalty?"

He suddenly drew his sword, a cold light flashed, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at Zhou Yu's throat: "The crime of deceiving the emperor shall be executed along with all nine generations of the clan!"

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!" Zhang Wei, a veteran general in his sixties, kowtowed heavily, his gray beard trembling in the river breeze.

"General Zhou commanded the navy for over ten years, first pacifying the bandits in the east, then the Yangtze River bandits. Three years ago, in the battle of Poyang Lake, he defeated the enemy with a smaller force, making an unparalleled contribution to the Han navy!"

Lieutenant General Li Ding knelt forward, his armor scraping against the deck with a harsh sound. "I guarantee this with my own head! General Zhou trains the navy day and night. Over the past three years, the men's boatmanship has improved several times."

"shut up!"

Liu Che's eyes were red, his face was ferocious, and he roared, "Achievements are merits, and faults are faults! He deceived the emperor today and should be cut into pieces!"

Wang Yan, a naval officer, suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a hideous arrow wound on his chest. "Your Majesty, be wise! Last year, during the suppression of bandits, General Zhou fought to the death, wounded by three arrows to save me!"

"How could such a loyal and brave general deliberately deceive the emperor? The craftsmen must have been delayed, and General Zhou was afraid of delaying Your Majesty's plan to attack Chu, so he resorted to this desperate measure!"

The young naval officers unsheathed their swords and slammed them heavily on the deck. "We, your humble servants, will bear the general's punishment! With a great battle imminent, executing a general on the battlefield is a grave military taboo! If the Chu army knew our commander was imprisoned, they would surely seize the opportunity to launch a massive attack!"

The wind from the river suddenly blew hard, making the torches flicker.

Liu Che's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and the tip of the sword trembled in front of Zhou Yu's throat.

Veteran General Zhang Wei suddenly kowtowed heavily, blood streaming from his forehead. "This old minister is willing to sacrifice thirty years of military merit in exchange for your loyalty! I only beg Your Majesty to spare Zhou Yu's life for now. After we defeat Chu, I will personally escort him back to the capital to be executed!"

The sound of armor clashing suddenly rang out on the deck, and dozens of generals kowtowed in unison, "Your Majesty, please have mercy!"

The sound waves made the ropes of the blessing ship buzz.

"Shut up, everyone!"

Liu Che was furious, and he swept his sword across, frightening the generals into retreating. "A tight deadline? Just because you're on a tight deadline, you can fool me like this?"

"Do you think you'll use this method to deal with anything you can't accomplish in the future?"

"Humph, if I let him go today, where will my prestige and the royal family's reputation be?"

He turned and shouted at the imperial guards, "Come! Capture Zhou Yu! Remove all official positions and bring him back to the capital for execution!"

"Also, capture his family as well. The entire clan must be executed!"

Four imperial guards pounced on him like wolves and tigers, tying up Zhou Yu, who looked as pale as death.

Zhou Yu finally looked up at the water fort he had painstakingly built, his eyes full of despair.

The night wind howled, as if playing a elegy for this farce.

Liu Che stood at the bow, looking at the dark river, his fists clenched and creaking.

That night, he not only lost a naval battle, but also lost the trust of his subjects.