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

Feng Anguo looked around at everyone and suddenly raised his voice with a sense of tragedy and determination:

"Everyone! His Majesty is personally leading a great army westward, intending to achieve victory in one fell swoop and completely resolve the Han crisis!"

The mission of our soldiers on the Eastern Front is to buy enough time for His Majesty, no matter what!"

"Even if we have to fight to the last soldier, we must not let Li Jing break through the defense line and interfere with Your Majesty's plan of the Western Expedition!"

"We swear to complete the mission at the cost of our lives! As long as we are at the position, we will be there!"

All the generals roared in unison, shaking the roof tiles, expressing their determination to live and die with the defense line.

"Take action immediately!" Feng Anguo waved his hand.

The order was quickly passed down, and the massive Chu army on the eastern front began to operate efficiently.

Teams of soldiers, led by military officers, marched towards Luoxia Mountain and Canglang River respectively, with flags waving and swords and spears everywhere.

Although facing an enemy force several times larger than their own, their morale was not low. Instead, they felt a high spirit of fighting with their backs against the wall.

Feng Anguo stood on the tall city wall of Zhennan Pass, watching the troops marching away, and then looking at the faintly visible billowing smoke outside the pass, representing the main force of the Tang army, his eyes deep and firm.

He knew that this would be an extremely difficult, perhaps even desperate, defensive battle.

But he knew more that they had to persevere.

In order to buy precious time for the emperor far away on the western front, the 200,000 soldiers on the eastern front are ready to fight a bloody battle.

Every hilltop, every river bank, and every inch of the wall will become a grinding wheel to consume the Tang Scorpion coalition forces.

Their goal is not to win, but to... delay the enemy at all costs!

It's December, and winter is here.

The biting cold wind blew across the land of the Han Dynasty like a knife, blowing up withered grass and dust, and the world was bleak.

However, in this vast wilderness, there is a huge army that is braving the cold wind and marching westward unswervingly.

The Chu imperial flag fluttered in the cold wind, and 50,000 elite Chu troops formed a marching column that stretched for several miles.

Their armor was bright and their swords and spears were dazzling. Although the weather was cold, there was no sign of fear on the faces of every soldier. Instead, they were filled with irrepressible excitement and high morale.

They knew that they were stepping on the territory of the once powerful Han Dynasty, and that the magnificent capital city of Chang'an, which was getting closer and closer, would be the ultimate goal of their expedition!

To overthrow a dynasty that had lasted for hundreds of years, to participate in and witness this historic moment, is enough to make any soldier's blood boil and forget the cold.

At the front of the army, Chu Ning, wearing golden dragon-patterned armor and a black cloak, rode his horse.

The cold wind blew across his young face, which already exuded the majesty of an emperor, but he was completely unaware.

He stared ahead with a sharp gaze, as if he could already see the towering outline of Chang'an City. His presence itself was the greatest guarantee of the morale of this army.

The entire marching team was immersed in a solemn and exciting atmosphere. Apart from the sound of neat footsteps, horse hooves and the friction of armor, there was almost no extra noise.

Everyone is holding back their energy, determined to achieve great things in this final decisive battle.

Just then, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from behind the team, coming closer and closer.

A fierce general came galloping on his horse. It was Ran Ming, who had a shiny bald head and a burly figure.

There was a hint of haste on his face, and he held high in his hand a letter with a feather stuck in it.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Ran Ming rushed to Chu Ning's horse, reined in his steed, and spoke in a loud and urgent voice: "Jinyiwei, 800 miles away, urgent! Latest military information on the eastern front!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Ning slowly pulled the reins, and the entire advancing army slowly stopped, like a steel river that had stopped flowing.

He stretched out his hand and calmly took the letter handed to him by Ran Ming.

The letter was sealed intact, with the unique mark of the Jinyiwei printed on the wax.

He tore open the seal, took out the silk inside, and quickly browsed through it.

As he read, his brows furrowed slightly on his originally calm face, and a barely perceptible solemnity flashed in his deep eyes.

Although he quickly regained his composure, the sudden change was still caught by Ran Ming who was staring at him closely.

"Your Majesty, what is the situation on the Eastern Front?"

Ran Ming couldn't help but ask, concern in his voice.

Although he was mainly responsible for the Western Expedition, he was also well aware of the importance of stability on the eastern front to the overall situation.

Chu Ning casually handed the letter to the guard beside him and looked into the distance again. His tone was calm, but with a hint of coldness:

"Li Jing...has indeed taken action, and the movement is quite loud."

He paused, as if talking to himself, or as if telling Ran Ming:

"The 300,000-strong Tang Scorpion coalition has split into three groups. Wang Zhongsi is attacking Luoxia Mountain on the left, Gao Xianzhi is attacking Canglang River on the right, and Li Jing is leading the main force in the center, heading straight for Zhennan Pass. They're going to launch an all-out attack and break through our eastern defenses in one fell swoop."

"Three hundred thousand? And divided into three groups?"

Although Ran Ming was a reckless man, he also understood the enormous pressure behind these numbers and strategies. He glared at them with a worried look on his face.

"Your Majesty, General Feng Anguo only has 200,000 men under his command. This... can they be stopped? What if something goes wrong on the eastern front..."

"Why panic!"

Chu Ning snorted coldly and interrupted him, his tone full of trust in his generals and control over the battle situation.

"Feng Anguo and Han Xing are not mediocre people. How could they just sit there and wait for death?"

"The Imperial Guards have reported that they have adopted Han Xing's strategy and are also dividing their forces into three groups to respond."

"Jia Yu and Guan Yun will lead 60,000 troops to defend Luoxia Mountain, Han Xing and Ma Chao will lead 60,000 troops to defend Canglang River, and Feng Anguo will personally lead 80,000 elite troops to station at Zhennan Pass to meet Li Jing head-on!"

He glanced at Ran Ming and continued, "Furthermore, after resolving the subsequent issues in Kunyang, Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu have led an army of 120,000 to travel day and night to support the eastern front!"

"Calculating the time, it will take at most seven or eight days to reach the battlefield!"

"By then, our total strength on the eastern front will exceed 320,000, no less than the Tang Scorpion coalition!"

Hearing this, Ran Ming breathed a sigh of relief and patted his chest:

"So His Majesty had already made arrangements! I knew it! General Feng and his men would definitely be able to hold their own!"

However, Chu Ning's eyes became sharper, and he changed the subject, his voice becoming deeper:

"However, warfare is treacherous, and the situation on the battlefield changes rapidly."

"Li Jing is a famous general of his time. He will never give our army the opportunity to calmly join forces and wait for the enemy to tire out."

"He will definitely launch the most violent attack before Xue Huaide and Zhao Yu's reinforcements arrive, striving to open a gap!"

His gaze became resolute once again as he looked towards Ran Ming, as if giving the final order to the entire army:

"So, we don't have much time left! We must race against time!"

"During the past two weeks, when the pressure on the Eastern Front is greatest and support is most needed, we must capture Chang'an City in one fell swoop and completely resolve the war on the Western Front!"