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

"Fire arrows!"

At a command, countless Chu army archers who had been prepared for a long time appeared behind the battlements at the same time, and the long-awaited bowstrings vibrated, turning into a storm of death!

The arrows were like a dense swarm of locusts and a torrential downpour, with a shrill whistling sound, covering the vanguard of the Han army crowded under the city!

"Puff puff puff puff——"

The sound of sharp blades cutting into flesh was endless.

The Han soldiers, who lacked the protection of large shields and whose pursuit formation was relatively dense, suddenly fell down in large numbers, with screams rang out one after another.

In a blink of an eye, hundreds of people fell under the city, causing heavy casualties.

"Come back! Sound the horn! Everyone, come back!"

Liu Xiu, who was watching the battle from the rear, was so angry that his eyes turned red and his eyes were about to burst!

He instantly understood that this was not a decisive battle at all, but a carefully planned provocation and prank by Chu Ning!

The purpose was to undermine the morale of the Han army, anger him, and waste the Han army's physical strength and arrows.

The Han army retreated in a panic, leaving behind corpses and wailing wounded soldiers.

On the city wall, the triumphant laughter of the Chu soldiers could be faintly heard. This laughter was like a poisonous sting that pierced the hearts of Liu Xiu and every Han army soldier.

Liu Xiu's face turned ashen and his chest heaved violently. He was almost overwhelmed by unprecedented humiliation and rage.

He originally wanted to adopt a relatively safe strategy, and even took into account Huo Guang's strategy of strong attack with huge casualties, and tried to take Hongdu at the lowest cost.

But now, Chu Ning had humiliated him severely with his actions! Not only was he not afraid at all, he even had the leisure to take the initiative and tease him!

This is no longer a simple siege, but also a battle of wills between two emperors!

"Good! What a great Chu Ning!"

Liu Xiu's voice was as cold as the Netherworld's ice, and the last trace of hesitation in his eyes completely turned into a fierce murderous intent.

"Since you are so eager to die, I will grant your wish!"

He turned abruptly and roared to the messenger following closely behind him, "Pass on my order! All troops, prepare for battle! In one hour, attack from all sides, day and night!"

"I don't want casualties, I only want the city of Hongdu! Even if it costs human lives, you must fill up the walls of Hongdu for me!"

"I want to see Chu Ning kneeling before me with my own eyes! I want every Chu soldier who mocked me today to have their bones used to build the walls of Hongdu!"

At this moment, Liu Xiu completely abandoned all ideas of retaining his strength.

The emperor's dignity was trampled upon, and only the blood of the enemy could wash it away.

He was determined to wipe out this city and the hateful young emperor from this land completely at all costs and in the most violent and cruel way!

The sound of war drums sounded again, this time more rapid and violent than ever before, foreshadowing that a reckless bloody storm was about to descend upon Hongdu City.

On the towering walls of Hongdu City, flames of war and smoke intertwined into a hazy curtain.

Chu Ning was wearing a black dragon-patterned uniform and light armor. He did not wear a crown and let the morning breeze blow his slightly messy hair.

He stood on the parapet, looking down at the Han army's offensive that was surging like a tide and then smashed to pieces at the foot of the city wall.

The deafening shouts and cries, the roar of falling boulders, and the whistling of arrows flying through the air seemed unable to disturb him in the slightest.

His gaze was deep, looking across the bloody battlefield, as if he was examining a huge chess game.

After a long moment, a playful smile, one that showed everything was under control, slowly appeared on his young, well-defined face.

"It seems that Liu Xiu has completely taken the bait and has been successfully angered by me."

Chu Ning's voice was calm, yet tinged with a hint of cold sarcasm: "He has just ascended the throne and is eager to establish his authority and eliminate all potential threats."

"Looking across the world, is there anything that could better demonstrate his martial prowess than taking my head and destroying the Great Chu? Given such a golden opportunity, he will naturally not miss it, and will spare no expense."

Ran Ming, who was as tall as an iron tower, chuckled when he heard this. He stretched out his large hand like a palm leaf fan and touched his shiny bald head. His armor made a dull sound as he moved.

"Your Majesty, your foresight is brilliant! General Xue Huaide's 100,000 elite troops, marching day and night, will surely reach the outskirts of Hongdu in four days at most!"

"When the time comes, we will trap Liu Xiu in a trap. With the help of both inside and outside forces, we will ensure that these 190,000 Han troops will never return!"

However, while Ran Ming was excited, a hint of doubt flashed across his rough brows.

He looked at the seemingly endless Han army camps and troops that covered the mountains and plains outside the city, and asked in a muffled voice:

"But... Your Majesty, the Han army outside the city is simply too numerous, a vast, dark mass stretching as far as the eye can see. I, Ran, am not afraid of death in battle, but I also know that even a large number of ants can kill an elephant."

"What if... I mean what if, Liu Xiu sees the situation is bad and fights his way out?"

"Then he is still the Emperor of Han, and he controls most of the country. Aren't we just letting the tiger go back to the mountains?"

The playful smile on Chu Ning's lips became more and more obvious, even with a hint of cruelty.

He did not answer directly, but turned his head, his eyes seemed to penetrate time and space, looking towards the distant west.

"Breakout?"

Chu Ning chuckled softly, his tone firm and cold, "Don't worry, General Ran. Even if Liu Xiu truly possesses extraordinary abilities and manages to escape the sea of ​​blood and corpses outside Hongdu City, what awaits him is definitely not the throne of Chang'an."

He paused, his voice low, yet like a poisoned dagger, gleaming with cold light: "Besides this Hongdu battlefield before us, I... have already prepared a great gift for him."

"A gift that could deal him a fatal blow at his most vulnerable moment. I'm sure that gift is on the way now."

He withdrew his distant gaze and returned to Ran Ming's face, which looked even more ferocious due to his doubts.

"Just remember, after this battle, Liu Xiu will no longer have a place to stand in the world. If he is defeated here, he will be truly cornered, and his country will be destroyed!"

"The more fiercely he attacks now and the more troops he commits, the more miserable his defeat will be in the future, and the heavier his fall will be!"

Having said this, Chu Ning said no more.

He turned again and faced outside the city.

A new round of offensive by the Han army has begun.

Pushed by countless soldiers, the huge siege cone slowly and steadily slammed into the heavy iron-clad city gate of Hongdu, making a dull "dong...dong..." sound. Every impact caused the city wall to tremble slightly.

But Chu Ning's expression remained calm, as if the collision sound that threatened the city was just an insignificant beat.

He waved his hand gently, his tone calm, yet filled with absolute confidence and unquestionable majesty:

"Now, our army only needs to maintain the status quo, relying on the strong city and powerful weapons to hold on firmly. No matter how fiercely Liu Xiu attacks and roars, I will remain unmoved."

"Tell the soldiers to grit their teeth and hold out for another four days! After four days, once Xue Huaide's army arrives, it will be time for us to march out of the city and completely destroy the main force of the Han army outside the city!"