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

Although Ran Ming still didn't know what the gift from His Majesty was.

But looking at Chu Ning's expression of wisdom and control, all the doubts in his heart disappeared in an instant, replaced by boiling fighting spirit and unconditional trust.

"Hey, got it!"

Ran Ming grinned, revealing his sharp white teeth, like an awakened prehistoric beast.

He clasped his fists firmly, turned around, and walked away, his voice as resounding as a bell: "Then I'll go to the top of the city and kill the enemy! Chop off a few more Han soldiers' heads to sacrifice for the general attack in four days!"

As he spoke, he took a big step forward with his huge body and rushed towards the southern section of the city wall where the fighting was the most intense.

There, the Han army's offensive reached its climax again, and Ran Ming's joining would surely make the Chu army's defense even more indestructible.

Chu Ning still stood alone on the wall, looking down calmly at the bloody and fiery purgatory below.

The smell of blood on the wind became stronger, but his eyes became brighter.

He knew that he was not only defending a city, but also playing a big game that could determine the fate of the world.

And Liu Xiu, the seemingly powerful opponent, has fallen into his trap step by step.

While the sounds of killing were deafening and blood was flowing like a river outside the city of Hongdu, Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty thousands of miles away, was immersed in an eerie calm.

The Han Dynasty imperial city, deep palace.

The flying eaves and brackets gleam with a cold and hard luster in the autumn sun. Within the vermilion palace walls, undercurrents are surging, and a coup d'état that could overturn the world is quietly brewing.

In Changle Palace, Empress Dowager Cixi Dugu Jia dismissed her attendants and sat alone on the phoenix couch.

In her hand, she held a secret letter that had just been delivered by her confidant at the fastest speed and through the most secretive channels.

The handwriting on the letter was illegible, obviously written in extreme urgency, but every word was like a poisoned needle, piercing her eyes fiercely and then igniting a raging fire in her heart.

"The battle in Hongdu City is at a stalemate. Your Majesty has personally led a large army to besiege the city, but the assault has been unsuccessful. There are signs that Chu General Xue Huaide has led tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of elite cavalry, rushing day and night to support Hongdu. If the reinforcements arrive and our army fails to capture the city, Your Majesty and the main force of our army will be in danger."

Dugu Jia read word by word, and the initial shock on his well-maintained face quickly faded, replaced by a sneer that was a mixture of cold hatred and fanatical ambition.

Her slender fingers turned slightly white due to the force, and she almost crushed the letter.

"Liu Xiu, Liu Xiu..."

She whispered to herself, her voice like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, filled with years of suppressed resentment: "You have come to this day!"

"You took advantage of the late emperor's death on the front lines to demote my son from the throne of heir apparent and banish him to that bitter and cold borderland to become a prince in name only! Did you ever imagine that retribution would come so swiftly?"

The bloody night of the palace coup seemed to reappear in her eyes, how Liu Xiu led his troops into the palace, and how he banished her and her young son to the cold palace.

If she had not judged the situation, pretended to be obedient, and even pretended to be sad to acknowledge Liu Xiu's throne, she and her son would have died long ago, and there would be no today.

"I have endured humiliation and hardship, pretending to be submissive and submissive to you, all for this opportunity!"

Dugu Jia stood up suddenly, her luxurious palace dress dragging on the ground, her eyes flashing with a desperate and crazy light.

"A chance to save you from eternal damnation and take back the kingdom that once belonged to my son!"

She quickly walked to the palace gate and sternly ordered the trusted old eunuch guarding outside, "Secretly summon Bai Xuewen, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards! Have him gather his absolutely reliable and trusted soldiers and quickly come to Changle Palace to obey my orders!"

"Remember, it must be absolutely secret!"

The old eunuch was startled and did not dare to ask any more questions. He bowed and took the order and left.

In just the time it took to stick up an incense stick, Bai Xuewen, the deputy commander of the imperial guards in military uniform, quietly arrived at Changle Palace with dozens of elite soldiers.

Bai Xuewen was a confidant of the Dugujia family who was planted in the army in the early years and was extremely loyal to Dugujia.

"Empress Dowager, I obey your orders!" Bai Xuewen knelt on one knee, his armor clanging.

Dugu Jia's eyes were cold as she swept over the soldiers who were about to open the road to power for her, and her voice was firm and decisive:

"Commander Bai, follow me immediately to Yongshou Palace and invite the Empress Dowager Dong to come! Anyone who dares to stop us will be killed without mercy, no matter who they are!"

"As ordered!"

Without any hesitation, Bai Xuewen immediately stood up, waved his hand and led the armored soldiers to surround Dugu Jia.

The group rushed like an iron torrent in the dark night, heading straight for Yongshou Palace where another empress dowager, the Eastern Empress Dowager, lived.

The palace servants of Yongshou Palace were horrified when they saw this and tried to stop and ask questions, but they were roughly pushed away and even hacked to the ground by the wolf-like and ferocious soldiers.

The palace door was suddenly pushed open, and Dugu Jia, guarded by a group of soldiers, walked into the inner hall with his head held high.

The Empress Dowager Dong was worshipping Buddha when she heard the noise and jumped up. Seeing the tense scene before her, especially the leader being the usually docile Dugu Jia, she was immediately shocked and angry:

"Dugu Jia! What are you doing? Bringing troops into the palace without permission, are you planning a rebellion?"

"Your Majesty is currently fighting for the country on the front lines. Are you attempting to plunge our Han Dynasty into civil strife and division by doing this?!"

Dugu Jia faced the rebuke without a trace of shame on her face. Instead, she revealed a hint of sneer and ridicule: "Sister, why are you so angry? This action of mine is for the sake of the Han Dynasty!"

"You and I both know exactly how Liu Xiu ascended to the throne! The previous emperor was clearly killed by Chu Ning, but he took the opportunity to lead his troops back to the court, kidnapped the young emperor, and usurped the throne!"

"He stole the throne!"

She pressed on step by step, her voice becoming increasingly sharp: "Now, Liu Xiu is stubborn and self-righteous, underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. He has fallen into the dangerous territory of Hongdu and is on the verge of being completely wiped out!"

"Are you going to watch helplessly as the bloodline of the late emperor is cut off, and watch this thief bring the foundation of the Han Dynasty to an irretrievable end?"

"Today, I am determined to restore order, usher in the late emperor's orthodoxy, and invite my son back to inherit the throne!"

The Empress Dowager Dong was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at her and cursed, "You are making up stories! The late emperor has passed away, and the country cannot be without a ruler for a day."

"The situation was critical. If Your Majesty had not stepped forward to stabilize the situation, the Han Dynasty would have collapsed long ago! Your actions are truly a disaster for the country and the people!"

However, no matter how the Empress Dowager Dong scolded her, Dugu Jia had already torn his face off and remained unmoved.

She waved her hand coldly: "Please ask the Queen Mother to go to the side hall to rest. No one is allowed to visit without my order!"

The soldiers immediately stepped forward, half inviting and half escorting the furious Empress Dowager Dong out of the main hall and placing her under house arrest.

After taking control of the Empress Dowager Dong and the Changle Palace and Yongshou Palace, Dugu Jia acted quickly.

In the name of the Empress Dowager Cixi, she claimed to have received urgent military reports that His Majesty had suffered defeat on the front lines, and issued a series of imperial decrees in order to stabilize the court.