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

"Captain, that's about enough."

The deputy rode closer and whispered, "If we keep chasing, we'll really reach Rouran territory."

Batel looked up at the carrier pigeon that had become a tiny black dot in the sky, then looked back at the path he had come from.

There, in the direction of Blackstone Fortress, the faint glow of torches on the city walls could be seen.

He reined in his horse and raised his right hand.

All the cavalrymen stopped at the same time.

"Let it go."

Batel deliberately spoke in a volume loud enough for any potential eyes and ears in the distance to hear, his voice filled with resentment:

"It's lucky it survived! Go back and report to the chieftain that a carrier pigeon has headed south towards the royal court!"

The cavalrymen turned their horses around and slowly returned the way they had come.

Someone deliberately left a few arrows on the pursuit route; the rough feather decorations on the arrow shafts and the bone arrowheads unique to the Rouran were all carefully prepared props.

When their figures disappeared at the edge of the wasteland, the carrier pigeon had already flown to a safe altitude.

It circled twice in the air, seemingly to confirm whether the threat had been eliminated, before flapping its wings again and resolutely flying north—towards the location of the Scorpion Clan's royal court.

Half an hour later, Batel led his team back to a secret outpost on the outskirts of the Chu army camp.

He removed his disguise, washed the dust off his face, put on the standard leather armor of the Chu army, and then entered the central command tent to report.

Inside the tent, Chu Xuan and Su Tingmei were playing chess.

"Your Highness, Mr. Su."

Batel knelt on one knee: "Mission accomplished. The carrier pigeon has 'escaped' and is flying towards the royal court."

"Seven arrows were left behind along the way, all of which were of the Rouran type. If the Scorpion Khan sends someone to inspect them, he will surely conclude that it was a Rouran cavalry trying to intercept us."

Chu Xuan placed a piece on the board without looking up: "Were there any casualties?"

"No casualties."

Has anyone become suspicious?

"I guarantee with my life that there is absolutely no flaw in this."

Batel said in a deep voice, "During the pursuit, I specifically observed the surrounding terrain, and there were no third-party eyes and ears within thirty miles."

"Even if there were, you would only see a squad of Rouran cavalry chasing and shooting at carrier pigeons, and they would return empty-handed in the end."

Su Tingmei finally raised her head and gently waved her feather fan: "You've worked hard. Go and collect your reward."

"Thank you, Your Highness! Thank you, Mr. Su!"

After Batel withdrew, the tent fell silent once more.

Chu Xuan stared at the chessboard and suddenly smiled: "Sir, your move of pursuing without killing is truly exquisite."

"In this way, when the Scorpion Khan receives that letter of appeal for help, he will not only see the crisis at Black Stone Fortress, but also how many hardships Gongsun Yi went through to send that letter."

"The harder something is to obtain, the more firmly we believe in it."

Su Tingmei placed a piece, blocking one of Chu Xuan's large dragons: "People are always like this, full of doubt about things that are easily obtained, but often regard things that are obtained after going through thousands of difficulties as treasures."

Chu Xuan looked at his dragon, now sealed off, and instead of being angry, he clapped his hands and laughed:

"I admire your chess skills, sir! But I wonder what the Scorpion Khan will do after receiving this perilous letter of appeal?"

There are only three paths.

Su Tingmei picked up her teacup and took a sip: "Firstly, he personally led a large army to provide reinforcements, joining forces with Gongsun Yi to launch a pincer attack from both inside and outside."

This is the best course of action, but it carries the greatest risk—the royal court is vulnerable, and the Rouran are watching with predatory eyes.

"What about the second?"

"Secondly, sending a detachment to probe the rescue while the main force defends the royal court is a poor strategy, as it will not only fail to save Blackstone Fortress but may also result in heavy losses."

"Thirdly?"

"Third,"

Su Tingmei put down her teacup, a deep meaning flashing in her eyes: "To remain inactive and watch Black Stone Fortress wither and die is the most likely option."

Chu Xuan raised an eyebrow: "What makes you say that?"

"Because he is the Khan."

Su Tingmei lightly tapped the black piece representing the royal court on the chessboard with her feather fan: "What the Khan must consider first is never the gain or loss of a single city or territory, but the survival of the entire tribe."

"Blackstone Fortress is important, but the Royal Court is more important; Gongsun Yi is important, but the future of the Scorpion Clan is more important."

He raised his head and looked at the gradually brightening sky outside the tent: "Moreover, our posture of surrounding without attacking has already sent a clear signal—we don't want a full-scale attack, we don't want a mutually destructive outcome. We just want to trap them and hold them off."

As long as the Scorpion Khan doesn't act rashly, the 40,000 people of Blackstone Fortress can live a little longer.

Chu Xuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "So, what we really want is not Black Stone Fortress, nor Gongsun Yi's life..."

"It's time."

Su Tingmei continued, "To buy His Majesty enough time to pacify the Tang Dynasty."

Outside the tent, it was already broad daylight.

A new day begins.

At noon, in the study of the Black Stone Fortress General's Mansion, Gongsun Yi was staring intently at the map of the northern frontier on the wall.

On the map, red markers representing the Chu army and the Youzhou army have densely surrounded the area around Black Stone Fortress.

Most of the Scorpion Clan's original strongholds and outposts have been painted black—a sign of their loss.

Sunlight streamed through the window frames, casting grid-like shadows on the ground.

Gongsun Yi's gaze fell on the direction of the royal court, where a well-preserved marker still stood.

But there was no comfort in his eyes, only deep worry.

After a three-day siege, two-tenths of the granaries were already empty.

Yesterday, the quartermaster reported that at the current rate of consumption, the supply could only last for another twenty days at most.

What will these 40,000 soldiers and civilians eat twenty days from now? Tree bark? Grass roots? Or will it really be as he threatened?

The sound of hurried but deliberately light footsteps came from outside the door.

"General." It was Huyan Ying's voice, carrying a hint of weariness that was hard to hide.

"Come in."

Huyan Ying pushed open the door and entered. His face was still covered in the dust of his journey through the night, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes:

"The carrier pigeon... has been delivered."

Gongsun Yi suddenly turned around: "All three have been delivered?"

"All three have crossed the Chu army's defense line."

Huyan Ying knelt on one knee: "The one on the eastern route had the smoothest journey, without encountering any interception. Judging from the timeline, it should have already arrived at the royal court by now."

"The one on the western route encountered a snowstorm in the Wolf Mountain area, which delayed it by a day, but the falconer confirmed that it had flown over the ridge. As for the one on the central route..."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "As the general predicted, we did encounter an interception on the way to turn around."

"It was a group of Rouran cavalry, about twenty men. They spotted the carrier pigeon and chased it for more than ten miles."

"But the carrier pigeon still managed to escape, only suffering a minor injury to its leg."

Gongsun Yi's pupils contracted slightly: "The Rouran people? How did they end up in that direction?"

"This humble general also finds it strange."

Huyan Ying looked up: "That wasteland is not the traditional activity area of ​​the Rouran, but the arrows are indeed of Rouran style, and the pursuing cavalry are also wearing Rouran attire."

"Perhaps the Rouran people have also noticed the unusual activity at Black Stone Fortress and are trying to intercept intelligence?"

Gongsun Yi remained silent for a long time before slowly walking to the window.

Outside the window, the streets of Blackstone Fortress were deserted, with only the long shadows of patrolling soldiers cast by the blazing sun.

"Regardless of whether they are Rouran or not..."

He finally spoke: "Now that the carrier pigeon has escaped, the message for help can reach the Khan, and that is enough."