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

Li Shimin immediately ordered: "Promote Guo Ziyi to the position of Grand Commander of the Southern Army and General Who Guards the South, giving him overall command over all military and political affairs on the southern front, and granting him the authority to make decisions on the spot. He must stabilize the situation, consolidate the defense line, and not allow the Chu army to advance any further north!"

"Secondly, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue are ordered to immediately convene and decide to urgently draw 80,000 elite troops from Guanzhong, Hedong, and Longyou, and assemble them within 15 days. They will be led by General Xue Che of the Left Guard and rushed to the aid of Guo Ziyi!"

"The provisions and military equipment must be fully guaranteed by the prefectures and counties along the route, without any mistakes!"

"Third, issue the 'Edict for Recruiting Warriors to Pacify Chu' to Hebei, Henan, and the capital region!"

"Anyone who is willing to enlist in the army will be rewarded with money and silk, and their family will be exempted from taxes for three years! Those who die in battle will be generously compensated, and those who make meritorious contributions will be richly rewarded!"

"Each provincial governor's office shall be responsible for immediately setting up recruitment offices, conducting rigorous selection, and intensifying training! The first batch of new recruits must be formed within two months and deployed to the southern front!"

At this point, Li Shiming paused, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

He practically spat out the last order through gritted teeth: "Fourth, transmit my oral decree to the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies and the Vice Minister of the Chancellery, instructing them to secretly search for envoys or merchants who still have contact with the various tribes of the Scorpion Clan, especially the Huyan Eagle Tribe."

"Inquire about their movements, assess their intentions, and if possible, try to make contact, offering reciprocal terms and appropriate rewards to gauge their stance."

"Remember, it's an attempt to make contact and elicit information! I must not make a fuss, and I must not make any promises!"

"We'll discuss everything once Guo Ziyi has stabilized the situation and we've figured out the country's next move! You will personally oversee this matter, and it must not be leaked!"

He spoke those last words with great difficulty, but he managed to say them nonetheless.

For the sake of the empire, he chose to endure for the time being, and made a possible, risky, and humiliating deal with the devil.

"Your subject obeys the decree! I will obey!"

Changsun Wuji kowtowed deeply, feeling both relieved and incredibly heavy-hearted.

He knew that His Majesty had made the most painful, but perhaps the most correct, choice.

The wheels of empire will once again begin to turn with difficulty in the mud of blood and shame, heading towards an unknown and perilous future.

The night remained deep.

at the same time.

Zhennanguan, the temporary palace of the Chu army.

The night was deep, but the main hall of the palace was still brightly lit, dispelling the damp chill of the southern winter night.

A huge charcoal brazier burned, spreading warmth to every corner of the hall.

Chu Ning did not rest. He was wearing a brocade robe embroidered with dark dragon patterns and sat behind his desk, which was piled with reports of victories, battle damage statistics, and documents on the allocation of provisions from various parties.

The joy of the great victory still lingered in his heart, but as an emperor, he quickly turned his attention to the more complex situation that followed.

The hall was quiet, with only the flickering candlelight and the soft rustling of turning pages.

Feng Mulan changed out of her military uniform and into an elegant palace dress. She stood quietly by his side, gently grinding ink for him, her gaze occasionally falling on Chu Ning's focused profile.

Just then, a personal guard eunuch entered the hall with light but quick steps, holding a small bamboo tube in both hands, and bowed to report:

"Your Majesty, General Han Xing has sent a secret report via carrier pigeon from the front-line camp."

Chu Ning raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Bring it here."

The eunuch respectfully placed the bamboo tube on the table.

Chu Ning skillfully unscrewed the tube stopper and took out a very thin scroll of silk filled with tiny characters.

He unfolded the silk scroll and, by the bright candlelight, began to read it carefully.

On the silk scroll, Han Xing, with his usual steady handwriting, gave a detailed account of Ma Chao's pursuit of Li Jing.

How did they see through Qin Hong's bait? How did they besiege Li Jing's remnants? How did Guo Ziyi spare no expense to come to their rescue? How did the two sides fight a bloody battle all night?

Ultimately, Ma Chao, due to the exhaustion of his own troops and the resolute rescue efforts of the enemy, whose formation remained intact, ordered a halt to the pursuit in order to preserve his fighting strength. This allowed Li Jing to be rescued by Guo Ziyi and retreat safely.

At the same time, the report also covered the battle's achievements—the killing of Qin Hong and the capture of Yuchi Bo alive.

Finally, Han Xing also mentioned that Ma Chao felt guilty about the matter and intended to plead guilty, and that he had already made an explanation on Ma Chao's behalf in his report.

The silk manuscript is detailed and unbiased, affirming Ma Chao's achievements and hard work while also frankly acknowledging the regret of failing to achieve the final goal.

As Chu Ning read, his expression gradually darkened.

Seeing that Ma Chao ultimately failed to capture or kill Li Jing, and that the biggest fish escaped the hook thanks to Guo Ziyi's desperate rescue...

His fingers tightened slightly around the silk scroll, and finally, a clear, cold snort, filled with deep dissatisfaction and regret, escaped from his nose:

"Hmph! All our efforts were in vain!"

These four words sounded particularly cold in the silent hall.

The eunuch standing nearby shrank back in fright and lowered his head even further.

Upon hearing this, Feng Mulan, who was standing to the side, put down the ink stick in her hand and walked lightly to Chu Ning's side.

She didn't ask any further questions, but instead looked at the silk book on the table with concern.

Chu Ning did not avoid her, and even pushed the silk book slightly towards her.

Feng Mulan lowered her head and quickly scanned the contents of the silk scroll.

Born into a military family and having personally experienced the bloody battle of Zhennanguan, she possessed a keen intuition for military affairs.

After reading it, she didn't show obvious disappointment like Chu Ning. Instead, she frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and softly comforted him:

"Your Majesty, please calm down. Upon careful consideration, I'm afraid General Ma Chao cannot be entirely blamed."

Chu Ning looked up at her, gesturing for her to continue.

Feng Mulan continued her analysis, her voice clear and calm: "Your Majesty, please see the letter. It says that General Ma Chao first defeated Qin Hong's troops and then besieged Li Jing, pressing forward step by step with remarkable results."

"However, in order to save his commander, Guo Ziyi did not hesitate to abandon the safety of the camp and personally led the main force to come to the rescue, and all of them were fresh troops who had been rested and prepared."

"General Ma's troops have been fighting fiercely since the night before, covering hundreds of miles, and are already exhausted."

"Given that we do not have an absolute advantage in troop strength and that our soldiers are exhausted, if we were to launch a forced attack against an enemy army whose commander is fighting desperately to rescue them and whose formation remains intact, the outcome would be very uncertain."

"General Ma, assessing the situation, ordered a retreat to avoid unnecessary losses and preserve the strength of our elite cavalry. Although the victory was not achieved, it was still a prudent choice."

She paused, her gaze falling on the words "capture Yuchi Bo alive," and then her tone changed:

"Moreover, although Li Jing was not captured in this battle, another great general of the Tang army, Yuchi Bo, was also captured alive!"

“Yuchi Bo is Guo Ziyi’s trusted lieutenant and holds a high position in the Tang army. Capturing him alive is no less significant than killing Li Jing.”

"This might just be... the perfect bargaining chip that Heaven has bestowed upon His Majesty for the next stage of negotiations with the Tang Dynasty!"

"If we make good use of this man, our army will definitely gain the upper hand in the upcoming battle!"