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

The Imperial Guard received the secret letter with both hands, and felt its weight upon holding it—not from the thickness of the paper, but from the weight of the message it contained.

He carefully put the letter into a hidden pocket close to his body, and then took a delicate bamboo cage from his waist.

Inside the cage, three magnificent homing pigeons stood quietly, each with red feathers tied to its legs—a sign of the highest-level battle report.

"The first one will take the western route, passing through the Longshan Mountains and the Qin Chuan, and heading straight to the Jianghuai camp."

The Imperial Guard reported the planned route in a low voice: "The second one, take the middle route, change horses at the post stations along the official road and gallop at high speed, supplemented by carrier pigeons."

"The third one, take the eastern route, detouring around the coast, just in case."

Chu Xuan nodded: "Go."

The Imperial Guard bowed respectfully, and in a flash, he leaped down from the watchtower, disappearing into the camp in a few bounds.

A moment later, three red-feathered carrier pigeons took flight one after another above the camp. After circling briefly in the sky, they flew off in three different directions, quickly turning into small black dots on the horizon.

Su Tingmei looked up and watched the carrier pigeon disappear, then gently waved her feather fan: "Prince Xuan has thought things through thoroughly. He launched a three-pronged attack. Even if Tang spies try to intercept them, it will be impossible for them to capture them all."

"In this campaign, Your Majesty has mobilized the entire nation to attack Tang, and the rear must not be lost."

Chu Xuan's gaze returned to Black Stone Fortress: "We've surrounded it without attacking, trapping the main force of the Scorpion Clan and restraining them, preventing them from making any moves."

Su Tingmei understood the implied meaning, but simply smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.

"As long as Blackstone Fortress remains standing, the northern frontier will not descend into chaos. With His Majesty on the southern front, he can focus all his efforts on a single strike without distraction."

Chu Xuan continued, "Once His Majesty has pacified the Tang Dynasty and returned to the northern frontier with the prestige of unifying the Central Plains, how long can Black Stone Fortress hold out?"

On the watchtower, the two remained silent for a moment.

The wind from the northern frontier carries the scent of sand and dust from the wasteland, and also seems to bring the smell of gunpowder from the southern battlefield.

Su Tingmei's gaze remained fixed on the south as she murmured to herself, "Judging by the time, His Majesty should already be engaged in battle with the main force of the Tang army. I wonder how the battle is progressing."

"Sir, there is no need to worry."

Chu Xuan patted his shoulder: "By His Majesty's side, there is General Han strategizing, Generals Guan Yun, Zhao Yu, Ran Ming and others charging into battle, and hundreds of thousands of brave warriors."

"In this battle, Great Chu will surely win!"

As if to confirm his words, a commotion suddenly arose from the top of Blackrock Castle in the distance—it seemed that the garrison was redeploying its defenses.

But within this impenetrable encirclement, any adjustments would be futile.

A lonely city, a trapped beast.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, on another battlefield, the most crucial move in the game that would determine the fate of the Central Plains was being made.

Chu Xuan took one last look at the southern sky, then turned and stepped down from the watchtower.

"Order all battalions to strengthen their defenses. Starting today, every three days, shoot a letter of surrender into the city."

He paused, then added, "The wording got harsher each time."

"Yes!"

The siege of the northern border will continue in the slowest and most agonizing way.

The decisive battle in the south may have already entered its most brutal climax.

The Great Chu Dynasty's ambition to unify the Central Plains hinged on the balance of these two battlefronts.

Any imbalance on one side could trigger a chain reaction of collapse.

But at this moment, both Chu Xuan and Su Tingmei had only the belief in victory in their eyes.

Because their emperor, the monarch who inherited the throne at a young age, spent ten years building up the nation and ten years learning from its mistakes, and finally waited until this day, has never disappointed them.

For the next three days, arrows carrying silk scrolls frequently streaked across the sky above Blackrock Fortress.

The first day, at dawn.

The first arrow, carrying a letter urging surrender, whistled and embedded itself in the beam of the south gate tower.

Just as the guards were about to present it after taking it down, Gongsun Yi's personal guards arrived swiftly.

"The General has ordered that all letters shot into the city from outside must be burned on the spot and must not be circulated."

The silk scroll was thrown into the fire pit, and the flames engulfed the first letter of persuasion to surrender that Chu Xuan had personally written.

The letter contained nothing but clichés like "Those who understand the times are heroes" and "Surrendering the city will ensure wealth and honor," and was stamped with the King of Chu's golden seal at the end.

The soldiers guarding the city wall watched silently as the scroll of silk turned to ashes.

Some people's eyes darted around, but no one dared to speak.

The next day, noon.

This time it wasn't just one arrow, but more than a dozen arrows that simultaneously shot into the city from different directions.

Some were nailed to the eaves of houses, some fell to the ground in the streets, and one even shot into the front yard of the general's mansion.

"Pick them up! Pick them all up!" the patrol captain roared.

The soldiers ran around collecting the scattered letters and piled them all up in the center of the South Gate Square.

Gongsun Yi arrived in person, his face grim as he looked at the ever-growing stack of silk scrolls.

"burn."

The flames reignited, and black smoke billowed up.

This time, some civilians peeked from behind windows, and some soldiers couldn't help but glance at the words that hadn't been completely burned.

"After three months of siege, food supplies are exhausted and reinforcements are cut off!" "Whoever opens the city gates will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces, and whoever beheads Gongsun Yi will be granted a fief of ten thousand households!"

"What are you looking at!"

The captain sternly whipped a soldier who was peeking: "Anyone who peeks again will be court-martialed!"

Under such intense pressure, no one dared to raise their head again.

But people's hearts cannot be suppressed. At night, in a side courtyard of the general's mansion, at Ashina's residence.

The seriously wounded general leaned against the couch, and his personal guard reported in a low voice: "General, another letter of surrender was shot in today. I heard that the letter said that as long as the city is opened, past transgressions will be forgiven."

Ashina asked with his eyes closed, "General, what should we do?"

"They burned everything and whipped several soldiers who were peeping."

Ashina remained silent for a long time before slowly saying, "You did the right thing."

"But General, our supplies..."

"Shut up."

Ashina opened his eyes, which were bloodshot. "You must not say such things a second time."

The guards fell silent and withdrew.

Ashina struggled to get up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the night sky above Blackrock Fortress was starless and moonless, with only torches flickering in the wind atop the city walls.

He could hear the heavy footsteps of the patrolling soldiers, the faint groans of the wounded soldiers in the distance, and the faint gasps of this lonely city under the weight of the storm.

The third day, at dusk.

This time, the letter urging surrender took a different turn.

Instead of silk scrolls, small bamboo tubes were now attached to the arrows.

The bamboo tube shattered upon hitting the ground, revealing plump grains of millet and a small note with only two words on it:

"Descend, or starve."

Meanwhile, the Chu army camp outside the city began to light fires and cook.

When the wind was favorable, the aroma of roasted meat and the sweet fragrance of rice porridge actually wafted into the city.

The sounds of the soldiers guarding the city walls swallowing their food rose and fell.

It's been three days, and rationing has already begun in the city.

The garrison soldiers were given two meals a day, each consisting of only a bowl of thin porridge and half a pancake.

There are even fewer people living there, and many have started digging for wild vegetables and peeling tree bark.

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

"I know."

Gongsun Yi stood on the city tower, gazing at the wisps of smoke rising from the Chu army camp outside the city, his face eerily calm.