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

Li Jing was not particularly excited by the sudden promotion; he simply clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Your humble servant obeys the decree! I will do my utmost to defend the northern border and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

"also,"

Li Shiming's eyes shone brightly: "Regarding the alliance with the Rouran, we shall follow the general's plan!"

"I... will personally write a letter and send a trusted envoy with generous gifts to the Rouran court to meet with their Khan, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and ensure that this matter is brought to fruition!"

He walked back to his desk, spread out a specially made gold-flecked paper, picked up his imperial brush, pondered for a moment, and began to write.

In the letter, he began with polite greetings.

He then denounced the State of Chu as "tyrannical and tyrannical" and "aggressive towards neighboring states," mentioning that the Scorpion Clan's Khan Helian Hui "suffered a terrible death," implying that the threat posed by the State of Chu had spread to the entire north.

Then, he changed the subject and proposed an alliance under the guise of "jointly resisting a powerful enemy and sharing the benefits."

They agreed that after the spring of the following year, the Tang Dynasty and the Scorpion Clan would hold back the main force of the Chu army from the front, and earnestly requested the Rouran Khan to "take advantage of the situation and enter" to "punish the tyrannical Chu", and subtly hinted that "Longxi and Hexi are rich and prosperous lands, which you may take at will".

Finally, after the promise was fulfilled, the Tang Dynasty was willing to form an eternal alliance with the Rouran and exchange goods and resources.

After writing the letter, Li Shiming affixed his personal seal and a specially made secret letter seal.

He summoned a loyal, capable eunuch who was fluent in the Hu language, gave him detailed instructions, and ordered him to prepare immediately. The next day, he would secretly set off north to Rouran under the cover of a caravan.

After doing all this, Li Shiming let out a long sigh of relief.

Although the road ahead is still fraught with difficulties, at least the darkness before us is no longer a hopeless void.

By uniting with the Scorpion Clan, colluding with the Rouran, and reorganizing its military... a net of encirclement against the Chu Kingdom is being quietly woven in the deepest palace of the Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, Chu Ning, far away in Jiangnan, was completely unaware of this, immersed in the solemnity and sorrow of the upcoming state funeral for Han Xing.

With Li Jing's return to power and this secret letter, the game of power has become even more unpredictable and fraught with danger.

Yingdu was the capital of the State of Chu.

The cold wind of December, carrying fine snowflakes, lashed against the glazed tiles of the majestic palace, producing a soft and mournful rustling sound.

The sky was filled with low-hanging, leaden clouds, so gloomy as lead, as if even the heavens were mourning the fall of a loyal and virtuous man.

Since the coffin of Duke Zhongguo Han Xing was transported from the Jianghuai region to the capital and temporarily placed in the side hall of Fengxian Hall, this usually solemn and dignified royal palace has been shrouded in mourning music, chanting, and an endless stream of mourners day and night.

The side hall of Fengxian Hall has been converted overnight by the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Household Department into a large-scale and strictly regulated temporary mourning hall.

A plain white satin curtain hangs high above the palace gate, embroidered with the characters "Loyal and Martial" in silver thread. On either side hang elegiac couplets written by Chu Ning himself, the strokes vigorous and the ink penetrating the paper:

"With one sword, he settled the Jianghuai region; his merits are as high as the sun and moon. For a thousand autumns, we will remember his loyalty and bravery, and his tears will be shed for heaven and earth."

Inside the hall, Han Xing's coffin was placed on the huge altar in the center. The coffin was made of the finest golden nanmu wood, lacquered in black and painted with gold patterns, making it solemn and luxurious.

In front of the coffin was a memorial banner over ten feet high, with white background and red characters that read "The spirit of the late Duke Zhongguo of the Great Chu, posthumously honored as Duke Zhongwu, whose given name was Xing".

On either side of the memorial banner are displayed the imperial edict, the posthumous title, and wreaths and banners presented by the emperor, empress, vice empress, imperial concubine, and princes and princesses.

Countless white candles, plain banners, and incense burners illuminated the entire hall with a solemn and serene atmosphere.

The air was filled with the rich scent of sandalwood and wax tears, yet it could not mask the faint, heartbreaking aura of death.

In the past few days, almost all eyes in Yingdu City have been focused on this.

After Chu Ning issued the imperial edict, officials of the fourth rank and above from all over the country rushed to the capital day and night.

Starting at 7:00 AM each day, the mourning hall is open to the public for officials and members of the imperial family to pay their respects.

The Minister of Rites, Deng Hongwen, personally presided over the ceremony, and all procedures were carried out in accordance with the highest national funeral standards, without the slightest deviation.

Officials who came to pay their respects were dressed in plain clothes with hemp sashes around their waists. As the master of ceremonies announced their names, they entered in turn and performed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows before the coffin.

Some officials had a past relationship with Han Xing, and recalling the old general's former glory, they couldn't help but prostrate themselves on the ground and weep bitterly, their cries echoing throughout the hall.

Some, though complete strangers, were moved by his loyalty to the country and his willingness to die for it, and their expressions were solemn, their grief evident in their words.

Royal princes, dukes, marquises, earls, ministers of the six ministries and nine ministers, local officials... the crowds flowed in and out in an endless stream, turning this side hall into a white sea of ​​sorrow.

Only the coffin lies quietly, silently bearing the overwhelming sorrow and remembrance that comes from both before and after its death.

Today is the fifth day of the body's resting place, and the last day before the funeral procession.

In the afternoon, the snow and sleet gradually stopped, but the sky grew increasingly gloomy.

A grand procession of carriages, with imposing regalia, slowly approached from the direction of the palace and stopped in the square in front of the side hall of Fengxian Hall.

The eunuchs had prepared the imperial path well in advance, and the guards stood at attention. Upon hearing the news, the officials who were paying their respects inside the palace quickly retreated to the sides, bowed their heads, and stood in complete silence.

Chu Ning, dressed in plain white mourning clothes without any decorations, with a hemp belt around his waist and a silver crown in his hair, his face ashen, stepped down from the imperial carriage first.

His expression was more calm and reserved than it had been a few days ago, but the sorrow and solemnity between his brows did not fade with time; instead, they deepened.

Following closely behind was Empress Shen Wanying.

She was also dressed in a plain white phoenix robe, her hair was simply styled with a single white velvet flower as an adornment, and her face was gentle and serene, though her eyes were slightly red, indicating that she had just shed tears.

Empress Wu Zetian stood beside him, also dressed in white mourning clothes, her expression solemn. Her usual sharp edge was completely concealed, leaving only respect for the deceased and understanding of the emperor's grief.

Feng Mulan stood slightly behind, wearing dark silver armor over a white cloak, her heroic spirit tinged with melancholy.

She fought alongside Han Xing on the Jianghuai battlefield and witnessed his heart-wrenching speech. Now that her friend has passed away, she is filled with mixed emotions.

Following them, the three princes and princesses, accompanied by their eunuchs and maids, also wore simple robes, their youthful faces showing confusion and unease.

Nine-year-old Princess Chu Xiuning, already aware of human affairs, held tightly to the hand of five-year-old Crown Prince Chu Tian, ​​her eyes red-rimmed, and dared not utter a sound.

Two-year-old Second Prince Chu Ying did not understand life and death or separation. He just looked curiously at the layers of white curtains in the palace, being held tightly in the arms of his nanny.

Chu Ning remained silent, only slowly glancing at the officials standing solemnly with their heads bowed in the hall, before taking the lead and stepping into the mourning hall.

Shen Wanying, Wu Zetian, Feng Mulan, and the princes and princesses followed closely behind, silently.

Inside the mourning hall, candlelight flickered.

Deng Hongwen and his officials from the Ministry of Rites had already knelt to greet them.

Chu Ning walked straight to the coffin and stopped three feet in front of it. He stared at the black coffin and the glaring banner, remaining silent for a long time.