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

On a gentle slope five miles northeast of Jianghuai City, Li Shiming was helped by his guards to sit on a large blue stone.

The morning light had completely illuminated the earth, but the face of this Tang emperor was as pale as paper, and dark red blood occasionally seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Cough cough...cough!"

Another violent coughing fit ensued. Li Shiming covered his mouth with a handkerchief, and when he removed it, a shocking pool of blood was visible on it.

"His Majesty!"

Xue Che's eyes were red with anxiety. He turned to the imperial physician who was taking his pulse and urged him hoarsely:

"What happened? Tell me now!"

The imperial physician was an elderly man with white hair and beard, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

He withdrew his fingers from Li Shiming's wrist, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty... Your Majesty was struck in the chest by a hidden force, which injured your lungs, hence the incessant coughing up of blood."

"However... fortunately, His Majesty was wearing a golden silk armor, which reduced most of the force. Although his internal organs were injured, they were not ruptured."

He paused, then quickly added, "As long as you take the pulse-restoring powder prepared by this old minister and rest quietly for seven days, you will recover completely."

"But during these seven days, Your Majesty must not resort to force again, much less... be subjected to any further attacks."

"Seven days..."

Xue Che murmured the same words repeatedly, then suddenly turned around, knelt on one knee in front of Li Shiming, clasped his hands in a fist and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty! Since the imperial physicians have spoken, the battle at the front will be left to us, your humble servants! Please return to the capital immediately to rest and recuperate; your health is of utmost importance!"

Li Shimin slowly raised his head, a mocking smile appearing on his pale face.

"Returning to the capital to recuperate?"

His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable resolve: "If I go back now, I will have lost. I will have lost completely."

"But Your Majesty..."

"No buts."

Li Shiming interrupted Xue Che, his gaze fixed on the devastated battlefield in the distance: "Did you see that?"

"General Guo Ziyi is still on the south bank of the Yangtze River, leading eight thousand elite soldiers in a bloody battle against the Chu army."

"He used himself as bait to create an opportunity for us, gambling with the lives of himself and 150,000 soldiers. If I were to retreat now, how could I face him? How could I face the soldiers who died in battle?"

Xue Che said urgently, "But Your Majesty, our army's morale is low and our soldiers are exhausted, while the Chu army's momentum is unstoppable. If we continue fighting, I'm afraid..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Li Shimin sneered: "Do you think I would fight a battle I'm not sure I can win? Do you think I would stake my life and the fate of the Tang Dynasty on a desperate charge?"

Xue Che was taken aback.

Li Shiming slowly stood up. Although he was still a little unsteady, his eyes rekindled with fire.

He looked southeast, towards the lower reaches of the Huai River, in the direction of the Scorpion Clan's territory.

"Let's calculate the time,"

Li Shiming muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips: "It's time for them to show up."

Before he finished speaking——

Suddenly, billowing dust rose from the southeastern horizon!

The dust storm arrived extremely quickly, like a sandstorm rising from the ground, and swept rapidly toward Jianghuai City.

Beneath the smoke and dust were countless moving black dots—cavalry, and a massive cavalry force of at least 30,000 men!

Even more striking was the flag fluttering at the very front of the cavalry.

That was neither the golden "Tang" flag of the Tang army nor the black dragon flag of the Chu army, but a large black banner embroidered with a ferocious scorpion pattern!

Next to the main banner, there was a smaller flag with a large "scorpion" character written on it in Hu script.

At the very front of the cavalry, a robust middle-aged man sat atop a jet-black horse with only its four hooves white.

This man was about forty-five or forty-six years old, with a rugged face, a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, and a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes.

He was dressed in the traditional wolfskin cloak of the Scorpion Clan, and wore a mink hat with a golden eagle feather stuck in the brim—the very attire of the Scorpion Clan Khan!

Scorpion Khan – Helian Hui!

"They're Scorpion Clan cavalry!"

Xue Che was stunned at first, then overjoyed: "Your Majesty! It's the Scorpion Clan's reinforcements! Khan Helian Hui has come in person!"

The surviving Tang generals around them also showed joy. A true escape from a desperate situation!

But Li Shiming showed no joy on his face; instead, a cold sneer flashed in his eyes.

"You're only arriving now..."

He muttered, his voice full of mockery: "It was clearly agreed that as soon as my army moved, he would attack from the flank at the same time, attacking the Chu army from both sides."

"But he waited until I and Chu Ning were both badly injured, until I was seriously wounded and vomiting blood, until my army was defeated—before he finally arrived."

Xue Che's joy froze: "Your Majesty, are you saying that Helian Hui did it on purpose?"

"Hmph, that's how wolves on the grasslands always are."

Li Shiming sat back down on the bluestone, took the medicine bowl handed to him by the imperial physician, and drank it all in one gulp.

"They won't genuinely help anyone; they'll just wait for the right moment, waiting for the two tigers to fight, for one to die and the other to be injured, before they come out to plunder."

He paused, a cold glint in his eyes: "But it doesn't matter. Since he's here, and since he wants to take advantage of the situation—let him go and fight Chu Ning."

"Your Majesty means..."

"Issue the order to the entire army."

Li Shiming said slowly, "Rest on the spot, bandage your wounds, and count your numbers. There's no need to join the battle for now. We'll wait until the Scorpion Clan cavalry and the Chu army have finished fighting before we go into battle."

Xue Che's eyes lit up: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!"

"Exactly that."

Li Shiming closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing: "Let Helian Hui exhaust the Chu army's strength and dampen their morale. We'll make our move when they're almost exhausted."

"Understood, Your subordinate!" Xue Che clasped his hands in acceptance of the order and immediately went to relay it.

The remaining 40,000-plus Tang troops began to reorganize quickly.

They retreated to the back of the gentle slope, established a makeshift defensive line based on the terrain, and sent out scouts to monitor the battlefield.

Meanwhile, at this moment, beneath the walls of Jianghuai City.

Chu Ning was preparing to lead his troops into the city.

Bai Long rode in front, with Xue Huaide's troops bringing up the rear.

Despite having endured a fierce battle, the Chu army was in high spirits, and everyone's face was filled with the joy of victory.

The emperor personally led the expedition, defeating the enemy in five rounds and turning the tide of the war in one fell swoop—such a victory is enough to make any soldier go wild.

But just as Chu Ning was about to step through the city gate—

"Report——!"

A scout rode up on horseback to report, his voice trembling with fear: "A large number of cavalry have appeared in the southeast! At least thirty thousand! It's...it's the Scorpion Clan cavalry! Helian Hui himself has arrived!"

Chu Ning suddenly reined in his horse.

He turned around and saw, sure enough, dust billowing up from the southeast, as a massive cavalry force was hurtling toward Jianghuai City at an astonishing speed!

The menacing scorpion banner fluttered in the morning breeze, like a venomous beast baring its fangs and claws.

“Scorpion Clan…” Chu Ning’s face instantly darkened.

His worst fears came true.

Li Shiming did indeed have a backup plan—no, this backup plan didn't belong to Li Shiming, but to the Scorpion Clan.

This steppe Khan finally chose to intervene in the war in the Central Plains at this most critical moment.