dognovel Chapter 1968 Since they want to fight, then let them fight!
Chapter 1968 Since they want to fight, then let them fight!
As Li Jing's mocking laughter rang out, the Tang soldiers lined up behind him seemed to receive a signal and burst into laughter as well!
"Hahaha!"
"The Chu general is incompetent!"
"What destiny? What a joke!"
The deafening roar of laughter was like an invisible whip, lashing the hearts of every Chu soldier at the pass!
Generals Feng Anguo and others were so angry that their faces turned ashen, their eyes blazing with fury, and their fists clenched so tightly they cracked. If His Majesty had not been present, they would have already ordered the arrows to be fired or the troops to go out and fight!
On the city wall, the atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing. All eyes were fixed on the figure in black.
Chu Ning remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanged, as if the harsh laughter was merely a passing breeze.
However, Feng Anguo, who was standing close to him, keenly noticed that His Majesty's hands, hanging at his sides, had tightened slightly at the knuckles.
In those deep, icy eyes, a chilling killing intent was rapidly gathering and rising!
Li Jing's carefully designed provocation had successfully touched the emperor's sore spot!
On the wall, Li Jing's piercing words and the Tang army's thunderous laughter were like boiling oil poured into ice water, instantly stirring up a huge uproar.
The Chu soldiers were filled with righteous indignation, their eyes blazing with anger, wishing they could rush out of the pass immediately and fight the arrogant Tang army to the death, washing away this shame with the enemy's blood.
Standing beside Chu Ning, Feng Anguo was extremely anxious.
Having been through many battles, he knew that Li Jing was known for his steady and shrewd military tactics, and would never make such a frivolous and risky move as provoking someone on the battlefield without a reason. There must be something fishy going on!
Seeing that Chu Ning's expression remained unchanged, but the chill emanating from him was growing stronger, he inwardly cried out in alarm. He quickly stepped forward, lowered his voice, and urgently advised:
"Your Majesty! Calm down! This is a trick by the old villain Li Jing!"
Feng Anguo's voice carried an undeniable certainty: "His act of such provocation, disregarding his status and behaving like a street ruffian, is aimed at provoking His Majesty, angering our army, and inducing our army to leave the city to fight!"
He pointed to the seemingly loose but actually intricately planned formation of the Tang army outside the pass, and the indistinct allied camps further away, analyzing in a solemn tone:
"Li Jing has always been cautious in his military tactics, so his behavior today is quite unusual. There must be an ambush outside the city!"
"They may be hiding elite cavalry, or they may have laid crossbow traps, just waiting for our main force to come out of the pass, so they can launch a fatal attack while our formation is still unstable!"
"Your Majesty must not let momentary anger lead you to fall into the trap of treacherous villains and put your army in danger!"
Feng Anguo's analysis was reasonable and full of the concerns of a seasoned and patriotic man.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding generals calmed down slightly from their anger and realized that Feng Anguo was absolutely right. They all turned their gazes to Chu Ning, awaiting His Majesty's final decision.
However, Chu Ning's reaction was beyond Feng Anguo's expectations.
He didn't respond immediately, but slowly turned his head, his deep eyes, like stars in a cold night, coldly sweeping over Feng Anguo.
There was no displeasure at being offended, nor any fluctuation of feeling that one's thoughts had been exposed, only a condescending and insightful indifference in his eyes.
General Feng,
Chu Ning spoke, his voice calm and undisturbed, yet carrying an invisible pressure.
"Do you think I can't see that Li Jing is deliberately provoking me?"
He slightly raised his chin, his gaze returning to the figure seated on horseback beyond the pass, his tone tinged with amusement and inquiry:
"Who is Li Jing? The military genius of the Tang Dynasty, how could he not know that insults in front of the enemy are merely the rage of a common man?"
"His act of lowering himself to use such a clumsy provocation today must be driven by something big."
Chu Ning's mind was clear and calm, and he was not blinded by anger: "I am also very curious. What exactly does he want to do by going to such great lengths, even lowering himself?"
"Is this an attempt to test my strength? Is it to demoralize my troops? Or... is there a deeper purpose, requiring a battle as cover?"
He paused, a cold yet confident smile curving his lips, and said something that sent a chill down Feng Anguo's spine: "Actually, finding out the answer is very simple."
"Since he wants war, then I will grant his wish—send troops out to fight him in a real battle!"
"In the clash of swords, one can naturally discern his true strength and force out his hidden tricks!"
These words demonstrated Chu Ning's absolute confidence and assertiveness.
He wasn't being provoked; rather, he wanted to use a more direct and domineering approach to thwart the other party's scheme!
Immediately, Chu Ning ignored Feng Anguo's changing expression, took a step forward, placed his hands on the cold battlements, and stared at Li Jing below the gate like two sharp swords.
Faced with Li Jing's questioning of "destiny," Chu Ning's voice suddenly rose, clear and resonant, filled with undeniable power, instantly drowning out the noise below:
"Li Jing! Stop spouting nonsense about destiny and misleading the public!"
Then, his tone shifted to a grand and imposing one, carrying an air of dominance over the world: "As for the Mandate of Heaven? I started my rebellion in the western borderlands and have since conquered six kingdoms!"
"Wherever our iron hooves reach, all the lands belong to Great Chu! This glorious achievement, this vast land, is the best proof that I have received the mandate of Heaven!"
"If I were not ordained by Heaven, how could I have swept across the land and made all nations bow down?"
"If Liu Xiu was truly the chosen one, why did the Han dynasty fall to the hands of me?"
His rhetorical question struck the hearts of everyone who heard it like a heavy hammer, and was more convincing than Li Jing's far-fetched explanation of "celestial phenomena"!
Finally, Chu Ning's gaze sharpened like a knife, as if trying to pierce through Li Jing's armor and see into his heart. He coldly pointed out the other party's intentions: "Li Jing, your barking and raving here today, using such a clumsy method of provocation, is nothing more than trying to lure me out of the pass and have a battle with you in the open!"
"Such thoughts may fool others, but how could they fool me?!"
Li Jing's eyes flickered almost imperceptibly when Chu Ning saw through his thoughts, but he remained calm on the surface.
And that's exactly the effect Chu Ning wanted!
He turned abruptly, facing the countless eyes watching him from above and below the gate, his dark robe sleeves fluttering in the wind.
He mustered all his strength, and his voice, like thunder from the heavens, instantly resounded throughout the entire Zhennan Pass:
"Soldiers of the Great Chu!"
"You all heard that! The Tang army outside the pass is so arrogant! They dare to insult me and show contempt for the might of my Great Chu!"
"Do they think that with a few arrogant words and a few laughs they can shake the morale of our army and make the elite soldiers of Great Chu shrink back?!"
"cannot!"
The defending troops instinctively erupted in a thunderous response, their morale instantly ignited!
Chu Ning abruptly drew his sword from his waist, its blade pointing directly at the pass, and issued a thunderous command:
"I will tell you all today, and I will also tell Li Jing!"
"The dignity of Great Chu can only be washed away with the blood of our enemies! The territory of Great Chu will never be allowed to be coveted or provoked by anyone!"
"Since they want war, then let them fight!"
"Open the city gates! All troops—attack!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The war drums of attack sounded like a raging heartbeat, suddenly resounding!
The heavy gate slowly opened as the winch turned, revealing the battlefield beyond the pass that was about to be stained red with blood!
Chu Ning used the same methods against him.
Not only did he see through Li Jing's provocation, but he also took the initiative to fight back in a more domineering manner.
He decided to turn the conversation initiated by Li Jing into a real battle, and in the process, to find out the true purpose hidden by his opponent!