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

The next day, the darkness before dawn was deepest, and the surface of the Yangtze River was covered with a thin layer of mist, as if casting a mysterious veil over the upcoming war.

The eastern sky had just begun to turn pale when Chu Ning, already wearing armor, stood on a temporary command platform built on the shore.

His silver armor reflected the morning light, and his face beneath the golden crown was as cold as iron.

The scarlet cloak behind him fluttered in the river breeze like a battle flag.

"Your Majesty, the entire army is ready!" Ran Ming bowed and saluted, his rough voice suppressing the fighting spirit.

His huge bald head shone glossy in the morning light, and his copper-bell-like eyes burned with bloodthirsty desire.

He has been waiting for this battle for too long!

For more than half a year, he has been blocking the Han army here, but has been unable to defeat them.

The main reason was that the Han army general Zhou Tai was too cautious and did not give him any chance to capture the water fort.

But now it is different. Zhoutai has been captured by the Han Emperor Liu Che. Without this person's command, the Han army's combat effectiveness has dropped significantly.

The emperor of Chu came here in person, which greatly encouraged the morale of the soldiers.

Under the command of this team, they will definitely win today's battle!

Thinking about being able to capture the Han army’s water stronghold, or even kill the Han Emperor Liu Che, Ran Ming felt the blood in his body begin to boil!

Chu Ning nodded slightly, his eyes sweeping across the river like lightning.

As he waved his right hand, the deafening sound of war drums suddenly rang out.

In an instant, thousands of sails were set off on the river, and the Chu navy rushed towards the north bank like an arrow.

The two huge Fu ships were like moving fortresses, cutting through the waves and rushing to the front.

The ferocious beast head carved on the bow seemed ready to devour someone, and the black battle flag on the towering mast fluttered in the wind.

There were three turtle ships guarding on each side. These strange ships covered with iron armor shone with a cold metallic luster in the morning light.

What is even more frightening is that there are eighteen black iron pipes extending from the wings of each turtle ship - this is the secret weapon "Fire Dragon Out of Water" developed by the Chu Army in the past.

Inside the Han army’s water stronghold, the shrill sound of horns pierced the sky.

Zhang Wei, a veteran in his sixties, hurried onto the command platform. His cloudy old eyes suddenly narrowed when he saw the scene on the river.

He roared hoarsely, "The Chu army is attacking, all troops are fighting, the Fu ships are attacking!"

The two huge navies met in the middle of the river, colliding like two angry beasts.

The catapults on the Chu army's Fu ships took the lead, and stone bullets weighing dozens of pounds whizzed towards the Han army's warships.

A Han army warship was hit on its mainmast, and the thick mast collapsed, crushing dozens of soldiers to death.

The Han army was not willing to be outdone. The Eagle Crossbows on the Fu ships fired continuously. The huge arrows over ten feet long pierced the side of the Chu army's warships with a shrill sound of breaking through the air.

"Release the fire dragon!" Ran Ming's roar echoed on the battlefield.

In an instant, the iron pipes on both sides of the turtle ship spewed out hot flames, and the Han army warships were immediately engulfed in a sea of ​​fire.

The sailors, engulfed by the flames, jumped into the river with screams, and burning wood and charred corpses floated on the surface of the river.

Thick smoke billowed, covering the sky and turning the rising sun blood red.

The command ship Zhang Wei was on was scrambling left and right in the chaos. The old general, his hair and beard all standing on end, shouted at the top of his lungs:

"The third team will make a detour to the right! Archers will suppress the enemy ships!"

But the situation on the battlefield had taken a sharp turn for the worse.

The Chu army's turtle ships were like iron walls, and the Han army's arrows bounced off the iron armor.

However, the Chu army's rain of arrows came like an overwhelming force, and each wave of volleys took away dozens of lives.

"General! The left wing has been broken through by the enemy!" A personal soldier came running to report with blood all over his face.

Zhang Wei turned his head and saw that the Han army warships on the left wing were burning fiercely, and the surviving soldiers jumped into the river like dumplings to escape.

At this moment, Ran Ming discovered Zhang Wei's command ship.

The bald general grinned, revealing his sharp white teeth: "Brothers, follow me to take the head of that old man!"

He jumped onto a speedboat with twenty elite soldiers and rushed towards the Han flagship like an arrow.

The Han army soon discovered this reckless little boat and rained arrows at it.

Ran Ming wielded his spear so tightly that no air could penetrate it, and all the arrows were shot down with a clang.

The speedboat took advantage of the current and approached the Han army flagship in a blink of an eye.

"Stop them!" Zhang Wei shouted. But it was too late.

Ran Ming leaped up like a tiger, and when his heavy body landed on the deck, the entire ship shook.

The spear in his hand was like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue, and in a blink of an eye he knocked down five guards.

Zhang Wei drew his sword, and the sharp blade reflected his resolute face.

The two men fought a life-and-death battle on the narrow deck.

Although the old general is old, his swordsmanship is steady and experienced, and each blow goes straight to the vital points.

Ran Ming's spear was powerful and heavy, but was always neutralized by Zhang Wei with his clever strength.

"You old bastard does have some skills!" Ran Ming grinned and suddenly changed his tactics, thrusting his spear continuously like a storm.

Zhang Wei retreated repeatedly, beads of sweat the size of beans oozing from his forehead.

His breathing became more and more rapid, and the arm holding the knife began to tremble slightly.

In the 20th round, Zhang Wei stumbled and slowed down a bit.

Ran Ming seized the opportunity and thrust his spear like a poisonous dragon emerging from the sea, aiming straight for the throat.

Zhang Wei barely dodged sideways to avoid the vital parts, but the spear still cut a deep wound on his shoulder that was visible to the bone.

"Prepare to die!" Ran Ming took advantage of the victory and pursued, sweeping his spear across.

Zhang Wei raised his sword to block, but heard a crisp "clang" sound, and the precious sword that had accompanied him for thirty years was broken!

The old general stumbled back and bumped into the side of the boat.

He looked at Ran Ming who was approaching step by step, and suddenly laughed out loud: "I will sacrifice my life for my country today, and my death is worthy!"

Before he could finish his words, Ran Ming's spear had already pierced his chest.

Blood gushed out, staining the silver-white beard red.

Ran Ming pulled out his spear, raised his hand and slashed with his sword. Zhang Wei's head flew high into the air and fell into the river.

"Zhang Wei is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!" Ran Ming held up the bloody head, and his voice shook the whole area.

Seeing this, the morale of the Han army collapsed instantly.

The warships began to flee in all directions, some even collided with each other, and the scene was in chaos.

Inside the Han army's water camp, Liu Che's face was as gloomy as water.

He looked at the defeated warships on the river, his fists clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound.

"Sound the horn to withdraw the troops." He gritted his teeth and ordered: "Order all ships to retreat to the water fort and defend it to the death!"

The desolate call to retreat resounded across the river, and the surviving Han warships fled back to the water stronghold in panic like stray dogs.

Countless debris and corpses were floating on the river, and the blood dyed the river water dark red.

The cheers of the Chu army shook the earth, and the sound of war drums was like thunder, announcing the victory of this naval battle.

Chu Ning stood on the command platform, his stern face showing no emotion.

He looked at the retreating Han army and whispered to himself, "This is just the beginning."

The river breeze blew up his cloak, and it fluttered in the morning sun like a flag of victory.

"Send the order, attack the Han army's water stronghold!"