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

Inside the room, Feng Mulan nodded slightly, her voice softening:

"I understand these principles as well."

"So even though I guessed His Majesty's intentions in the hall just now, I did not really oppose my father staying."

She looked up at Chu Ning, but another layer of worry appeared in her eyes, a worry that was even deeper than the worry about being used.

"However... Your Majesty, it is certainly prudent to entrust such an important rear area entirely to Father and Military Advisor Jia Yu."

"But on the northern front in Youzhou... Prince Xuan, can he really stop those 100,000 Scorpion Clan cavalry?"

Feng Mulan frowned slightly and lowered her voice: "I do not doubt Prince Xuan's ability to command troops, but... after all, he did back then..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Chu Xuan, as the late emperor's son, was once a formidable rival to Chu Ning in the struggle for the throne.

Although Chu Ning did not purge him after ascending the throne, he instead gave him important responsibilities, appointing him to guard the strategically important northern region of Youzhou.

But the minds of emperors are unpredictable; have the old grudges truly been completely eliminated?

At this crucial moment concerning the fate of the Chu Kingdom, Feng Mulan felt uneasy about entrusting the heavy responsibility of defending against the powerful northern enemy and protecting the army's rear to a prince with whom she had once been rivals.

If Chu Xuan harbors ulterior motives, or passively avoids battle, or even... the consequences would be unimaginable.

Chu Ning sensed the deep worry in her words, and the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a calm and unwavering confidence.

He reached out and gently smoothed the slight furrow in Feng Mulan's brow, his voice steady and firm:

"Mulan, I understand your concerns. There is indeed much suspicion in the imperial family, but you can rest assured about this matter."

His gaze drifted out the window into the deep night, as if it could pierce through mountains and rivers to reach the city walls and beacon fires of Youzhou in the northern borderlands:

"Chu Xuan is my elder brother, and also a prince of the Great Chu! He may have had conflicts with me, but that was an internal matter of my Chu family."

"Now, we face foreign enemies, the scorpion clan, a fickle and predatory alien race, and a war of unification that concerns the fate of the Great Chu."

"I believe that, in the face of matters of principle and the survival of the nation, Prince Xuan... will surely be able to distinguish right from wrong, fulfill his duties as a subject, and guard the northern gate of our Great Chu!"

Chu Ning's tone was resolute, filled with trust in his kinsmen and in a key minister of the state:

"His military skills are no less than Li Jing's. He has guarded the northern border for many years, and Huyan Ying has not been able to cross the line, which is clear proof of this."

"This time, I entrust the rear and the fate of the nation to him, which is also my complete trust in him."

"Trust can sometimes be more effective than suspicion in uniting people. Don't worry, Mulan, the northern front will not be lost."

Feng Mulan gazed at Chu Ning's firm and confident profile. Although her worries had not completely dissipated, she was somewhat reassured by his words.

She gently rested her head on Chu Ning's shoulder and whispered, "I hope so. I just don't want Your Majesty to suffer any mishap."

"Will not."

Chu Ning put his arm around her shoulder, his voice gentle yet powerful:

"With you charging into battle by my side, with General Feng and Jia Yu strategizing and providing support from the rear, and with Prince Xuan protecting us in the north, our Great Chu will surely win this battle!"

The night outside the window grew even deeper.

But the two people embracing inside the hall had already ignited a burning fighting spirit and unwavering belief in the upcoming battle that would determine the fate of the world.

Three days passed quickly amidst the tense troop movements, the gathering of supplies, and the final preparations for battle.

On the morning of the fourth day, as dawn was breaking, the vast wilderness outside Zhennan Pass presented a completely different scene.

The thin winter sunlight pierced through the morning mist, illuminating an endless, solemn military formation.

Banners fluttered in the wind, obscuring the sky and the sun. The crimson "Chu" banner and the flags of various generals stretched proudly in the cold wind, like burning flames or a churning sea of ​​blood.

Swords and spears stood like a forest, reflecting a cold light; armor clanged and clashed, converging into a sea of ​​metal.

More than 300,000 elite Chu troops have already assembled and formed ranks here!

They were organized into legions, forming huge and orderly square formations.

At the forefront were Zhao Yu's cavalry, all dressed in white horses and silver armor, like clouds descending to earth. The men and horses were silent, yet they possessed a soaring, sharp spirit.

Following them were Ran Ming's heavily armored infantry and Mo Dao (a type of Chinese swordsmanship) soldiers, like a moving steel wall, as steady as a mountain.

Next came Guan Yun's mixed force of swordsmen and elite infantry and cavalry, their killing intent restrained.

Xue Huaide and his son's troops were positioned on the flanks.

The most eye-catching force was undoubtedly the remnants of the Vermilion Bird Legion, personally commanded by Feng Mulan, along with newly replenished troops. Despite the bloody battle, their battle flags remained fiery red, and the soldiers' eyes burned with a mixture of desire for revenge and the desire to achieve glory.

In addition to these main combat troops, there were countless archers, supply troops, and engineer battalions lined up behind, with winding vehicles fully loaded with food and weapons.

The entire military formation stretched for miles, solemn and silent.

Only the occasional snort of warhorses and the fluttering of banners in the wind, along with a powerful aura that could change the very landscape, silently permeated the space between heaven and earth.

"W-W-W-W-!"

The deep, resonant sound of the horns, as if rising from the depths of the earth, lingered and broke the last silence before dawn.

This bugle call is the highest ceremony for an emperor's tour or the departure of a large army, and it is also a powerful war song that proclaims the will to fight to heaven and earth and to the enemy.

Amidst the sound of bugles, the heavy city gate of Zhennanguan, which had witnessed countless battles and bloodshed, was slowly pushed open under the watchful eyes of countless people.

A troop of elite imperial guards cavalry in golden armor led the way, followed by an exceptionally tall, bright yellow dragon banner embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, symbolizing the emperor's personal expedition, which gleamed in the morning light and slowly moved out of the pass.

Beneath the dragon banner, Chu Ning rode out on horseback.

He was not wearing a dragon robe today, but instead a meticulously crafted silver armor with smooth lines that gleamed with a cold, sharp light. The red tassel on his helmet resembled a leaping flame, and the beast head patterns on his shoulder guards and belly guards were ferocious and majestic.

This armor not only exudes the majesty of an emperor, but also highlights the heroism and ruthlessness of a commander leading thousands of troops.

He wore a sword at his waist and held the reins in his hand. His posture was as upright as a pine tree. The morning light shone on his silver armor, reflecting a dazzling light, as if a war god had descended to earth.

Under the protection of the Imperial Guards, Chu Ning slowly rode his horse through the solemn military formation, arriving at the very front of the army. He reined in his horse, turned around, and faced the vast, dark mass of loyal soldiers.

Hundreds of thousands of eyes instantly focused on him.

In those eyes, there was fervor, reverence, and a resolute determination to follow to the death.

Chu Ning's gaze was like lightning as he slowly swept over the faces before him, some young, some weathered, but all equally resolute.

Looking at the soldiers before him, a surge of heroic spirit welled up within him!