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

Smoke signals were used to signal for help when a stronghold was under attack.

Gongsun Yi closed his eyes briefly: "Never mind."

"But General, there are still dozens of brothers left behind to guard that place..."

I said, "Don't worry about it."

Gongsun Yi opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of emotion: "The order was given last night. Those who fail to return by the deadline will be considered deserters. Those who choose to stay will bear the consequences."

No sooner had he finished speaking than smoke signals rose from the east, north, and south.

One, two, five, ten... In just one morning, all the abandoned outposts of the Scorpion Clan within a fifty-mile radius of Black Stone Fortress were lit with smoke signals signaling for help.

The plumes of smoke rose straight up in the clear sky and were then dispersed by the wind, just as these strongholds, once standing, will eventually vanish into the winds of history.

The city walls were deathly silent.

The defenders watched helplessly as their strongholds, which they had once defended, fought fiercely for, and considered their homes, fell into enemy hands one by one.

Some plumes of smoke rose and then died out—meaning the stronghold had been breached or the defenders had been wiped out.

"The Chu army is taking over our territory."

Gongsun Yi's voice broke the silence: "They are telling us: from this day forward, there will be no more Scorpion Clan territory outside Blackstone Fortress."

These words struck like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

At noon, a troop of Chu cavalry galloped to within an arrow's throw of the south gate.

The leading general drew his bow and nocked an arrow, with a scroll of silk tied to the arrow.

"Whoosh-"

The arrow was embedded in a pillar of the city gate tower. A guard removed it and presented it to Gongsun Yi. Gongsun Yi unfolded the silk scroll, which contained only one line of text:

"Blackrock Fortress is now an isolated city; surrender or die."

The signature was Chu Xuan's name.

After reading it, Gongsun Yi handed the silk scroll to Ashina with a blank expression.

Ashina glanced at it, then suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with sorrow: "Surrender? We, the men of the Scorpion Clan, would rather die than surrender!"

He snatched the silk scroll, tore it in half with both hands, then tore it again, reducing it to fragments.

Fragments fell from the city walls like snowflakes.

Upon seeing this, the Chu general below the city was not angry. He simply turned his horse around and led his troops back to their own lines.

"General, we..." the lieutenant's voice was hoarse.

Gongsun Yi did not answer. He turned and faced the city.

Inside Blackstone Fortress, the streets were deserted, shops were closed, and the people hid in their homes, peeking at the general on the city walls through the cracks in their windows.

This large city, capable of housing 100,000 soldiers and civilians, now seemed to have lost its soul, leaving only deathly silence.

The grain stored in the granaries can only last for a maximum of three months.

The only water source is five deep wells within the city. If they are poisoned... The armory has enough arrows and weapons to equip an army of 50,000, but defending the city consumes the most arrows. How long can it last?

More importantly, it's about morale.

Yesterday's defeat, today's encirclement, loss of all outer strongholds—how long can morale hold?

"Pass the order."

Gongsun Yi's voice rang out from the city wall, clearly reaching every corner: "From this day forward, Blackstone Fortress will be subject to a rationing system."

"All food and supplies are allocated by the quartermaster. The soldiers guarding the city will have two meals a day, and the civilians will have one meal a day. Anyone who hoards food or loots food and supplies will be beheaded."

"All men aged 15 to 50 were assigned to the labor force to assist in the defense of the city, while women and the elderly were responsible for sewing, cooking, and caring for the wounded."

"From this day forward, Blackstone Fortress will have no generals, no soldiers, and no civilians."

He paused, then said, word by word, "Only comrades who share life and death."

silence.

Then, someone shouted first: "We swear to live and die with Blackrock Fortress!"

Then came the second, the third... Finally, the entire city wall, the entire street, and the entire Blackstone Fortress echoed with this tragic oath.

The sound reached the camp outside the city.

Chu Xuan stood on the watchtower, gazing at the fortified city that gleamed with a dark brown luster in the sunlight, his brows slightly furrowed.

"They are united."

Beside her, Su Tingmei gently waved her feather fan: "The struggle of trapped beasts is the most tragic, but the more united they are, the more complete their collapse will be."

"What brilliant plan do you have, sir?"

"Wait."

Su Tingmei only answered with one word: "Wait until they run out of food, wait until they fight amongst themselves, wait until they open the city gates themselves."

He looked towards the distant northern sky: "Also, send people to the grasslands to spread the word that Black Stone Fortress is under siege and its food supplies are running out."

"Let's see if that Scorpion Khan... will personally lead an expedition."

Chu Xuan's eyes lit up: "Besiege the city and attack the reinforcements, shall we do it again?"

"The same tactic can be used twice."

Su Tingmei smiled: "As long as the prey is greedy enough."

On the watchtower, the two remained silent.

On the walls of Blackstone Fortress, Gongsun Yi looked at the impenetrable encirclement outside the city, at the extinguished smoke signals in the distance, and at this lonely city that was about to become a hell on earth.

He knew that the real test was only beginning.

This siege will be longer and more brutal than yesterday's bloody battle on the wasteland.

This time, there was no way out, no reinforcements, only the option to hold out or die.

Chu Xuan stood with his hands behind his back atop the watchtower, his gaze slowly shifting from the top of Blackstone Castle to the south.

That place is in the direction of the Central Plains, the heartland of the Great Chu Dynasty, and also the place where another war is currently raging.

The Tang Dynasty, which had been vying with the Great Chu for several years, was now preparing to fight against the main force led by Chu Ning.

Mr. Su,

Chu Xuan suddenly spoke, a smile playing on his lips: "The situation in the Northern Frontier is settled, and Black Stone Fortress is now trapped. It's time to put His Majesty at ease."

Upon hearing this, Su Tingmei paused slightly with her feather fan.

He followed Chu Xuan's gaze to the southern horizon, as if he could travel across mountains and rivers to see the decisive battle on the Jianghuai Plain that determined the fate of the Central Plains.

"Your Majesty is wise and mighty, personally leading an army of 300,000 to attack Tang. This battle is crucial to the unification of the Central Plains."

Su Tingmei's voice was soft, yet it carried an almost devout certainty: "Although the Tang Dynasty is strong, it has suffered from constant internal strife in recent years, with increasingly fierce factional struggles in the court and border generals holding onto their troops and becoming self-important."

"As for our Great Chu, His Majesty is working diligently to govern, reforming and strengthening the army. With the whole nation united, the balance of power is shifting, and Great Chu will surely win this battle."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "As long as Your Majesty wins the battle in Jianghuai and takes Chang'an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains can be unified."

"At that time, these scabies-like diseases in northern Xinjiang will be..."

He glanced at Blackstone Castle in the distance: "It's nothing more than autumn leaves being swept away by the wind."

Chu Xuan laughed loudly: "Sir, your words resonate deeply with me!"

He turned around and took out a secret letter sealed with wax from his pocket.

The envelope was blank, except for a small golden tiger head seal—the insignia of the Chu King's personal guard.

"Where are the Embroidered Uniform Guards?" Chu Xuan asked in a deep voice.

Before the words were finished, a dark figure flashed out from the shadows of the watchtower like a ghost.

The newcomer was dressed in a dark black flying fish robe, with an embroidered spring knife at his waist. His face was hidden behind a bamboo hat, and he knelt on one knee silently.

"The humble position is here."

"Send this letter to His Majesty as quickly as possible."

Chu Xuan handed over the secret letter: "Use three red-feathered carrier pigeons to deliver the message via three routes. Make sure that the message reaches His Majesty's desk no later than sunset tomorrow."

"I humble my duty and obey my orders."