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

Inside the tent, Chu Ning's answer made Zhao Yu slightly stunned.

Afterwards, Zhao Yu's brows knitted tightly together, his doubts growing even stronger. "Your Majesty! Speed ​​is of the essence in war!"

"General... General, I don't understand. What exactly are you waiting for? Is there anything more urgent than taking Xunyang?"

Chu Ning put down the teacup, an unfathomable arc appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes flashed with a light of wisdom:

"What am I waiting for? Of course, I'm waiting for another move I made before."

"A chess piece that could disintegrate the Han Dynasty from within, leaving it in a difficult position."

He paused, as if calculating the time, and said firmly: "According to the time, they should be making a move soon."

After saying this, he walked to the door of the tent with his hands behind his back. His eyes seemed to penetrate thousands of mountains and rivers as he looked far away in the direction of the Han Dynasty. A cold, all-controlling sneer appeared on his face.

The tent was silent for a moment. Chu Ning withdrew his gaze and his tone became calm and decisive: "However, your concerns are not without reason."

"Xunyang City really needs to be in the hands of our army as soon as possible."

He looked at Zhao Yu and ordered, "Pass the order down. Have the soldiers of each battalion end their training, rest well, check their weapons, and prepare sufficient siege equipment."

"Be fully prepared and stand by at all times. Wait only for my order to launch a general attack on Xunyang immediately!"

"Yes! I will obey your order!"

Although Zhao Yu still had doubts in his heart, seeing that Chu Ning had made a decision, he immediately calmed down, clasped his fists in agreement, turned around and strode out of the tent to make arrangements.

Chu Ning stood alone in the tent, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, muttering to himself:

"Liu Xiu...Huo Quji...Oh, this chess game is becoming more and more interesting."

The cool autumn breeze blew into the tent, making the candlelight flicker and illuminate his unfathomable eyes.

The next day.

In late October, the sky was high and the clouds were light. A biting cold wind swept in from the northern plains, blowing up withered grass and dust, bringing a biting chill.

Outside Xunyang City, the vast wilderness has been covered by a cold and murderous ocean of metal.

The Chu army came out in full force and formed a battle line outside the city.

The central army was composed of elite heavily armored infantry, each of them covered in iron armor, holding a long spear and a huge shield, forming thick square formations, like a steel jungle, solemn and silent, with only the helmet tassels and flags dancing wildly in the wind.

Sword and shield soldiers, spearmen, and crossbowmen were each in their respective positions, clearly organized in layers. Their sharp weapons reflected the pale light of autumn, condensing into a suffocatingly heavy pressure.

On both wings were elite light cavalry and heavy armored cavalry. The war horses were breathing out white steam and paddling their hooves restlessly. The knights controlled the reins and scanned the city walls with sharp eyes, like a group of cheetahs about to pounce on their prey, full of mobility and impact.

Behind the formation, towering catapults and crossbows were pushed to the front of the formation, and huge torsion ropes were tightened, emitting a breath of destruction.

Countless black flags with the word "Chu" on them and various military flags fluttered in the wind, like a moving dark cloud covering the sky and the sun.

The sound of war drums rang out in a low and rhythmic voice, "Dong... Dong... Dong...", each sound seemed to hit the hearts of the Han army defending the city, increasing their tension.

In front of the battle, a horse stood proudly and independently.

Chu Ning was wearing a carefully crafted bright silver dragon-patterned armor that shone brightly in the sunlight, like a god descending from heaven.

The black dragon-patterned cloak behind him danced wildly in the October autumn wind, making rustling sounds.

He urged his majestic black horse to a point an arrow's distance from the city wall and stopped calmly.

He raised his head, his gaze indifferently sweeping over the tense Han soldiers and generals on the city wall, who were facing a formidable enemy. His voice was clear, yet it carried an inner strength that clearly reached the top of the city wall, drowning out the sound of the wind:

"Han soldiers on the city walls, listen up! The Han Dynasty is plagued by internal strife, with kings vying for the throne and killing each other. Your fate is over!"

"I, the Emperor of Great Chu, personally lead the royal army here!"

He paused slightly, his tone condescending:

"I understand that it is not easy for you to defend the city, and you are only following orders. If you know what is good for you now, lay down your weapons, and open the city gates, I will show mercy and spare your lives. I will even select the best and recruit them into my Great Chu army."

Immediately, he changed the subject, his tone cold and stern:

"If not, when my army breaks into the city, I will crush you into dust without mercy, leaving no one alive!"

"Which way to go is up to you to decide!"

Chu Ning's words were full of psychological offensive, intended to undermine the already low morale in the city.

However, just as he finished speaking, a strong sneer came from the top of the city.

Xunyang's defender Gongsun Ao stood with his sword drawn, his figure erect, and met their gazes without fear:

"Hmph! Emperor of Chu, please put away such clumsy words of persuasion! You dare to deceive our Han soldiers with this? It's ridiculous!"

He spoke loudly, deliberately letting all the surrounding defenders hear:

"It is true that there were some scoundrels causing rebellion in our dynasty, but they have been purged by our emperor with thunderous measures! Now, His Royal Highness the Prince of Chenliu has ascended the throne in Chang'an and is the rightful new emperor of our Han Dynasty!"

"The new emperor is wise and has issued many decrees to pacify the people and strengthen the country. The people of the country are at peace and united!"

Then, he threw out the most crucial news, his voice suddenly raised:

"Moreover, the Duke of Protector Huo Quji has already personally led a large army to rush to our aid, following His Majesty's orders!"

"I only need to hold out here for five days, or at most ten, before the Duke of Protector's cavalry arrives! Then, it will be the end of your isolated army outside the city!"

He slammed the battlements of the city wall, and said proudly: "The walls of Xunyang City are high and thick, the food and grass are abundant, and the soldiers are willing to fight for their lives! Let alone ten days, even a month is no problem!"

"Emperor of Chu, if you know what's good for you, it's still not too late to withdraw your troops. Otherwise, once my reinforcements arrive, I'll make sure your army of over 100,000 men never returns!"

Gongsun Ao's words were not only a sharp rebuttal to Chu Ning's persuasion to surrender, but also meant for all the uneasy defenders around him to hear.

He knew very well that the Chu army had more than 100,000 soldiers outside the city, while there were only 30,000 defenders inside the city. The siege and internal turmoil in recent days had already caused morale to be low.

At this moment, only by playing the golden signboard of the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the stability of the political situation, and the upcoming reinforcements, can we greatly stabilize the military morale and gather fighting spirit!

Sure enough, as soon as these words were spoken, the defenders on the city wall, who were originally a little uneasy, gradually became determined in their eyes and straightened their backs a little.

Huo Quji's reputation is a symbol of victory in the Han army!

As long as their Protector of the Country arrives here, together with the reinforcements he brings, they will not be worried even if the Chu army has hundreds of thousands of troops.

What's more, Xunyang City has high walls. If they defend the city to the death, the Chu army will definitely not be able to break through.

For a time, the morale of the Han army was high!

When Gongsun Ao saw this scene, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.